


Rewrite The Stars

by Renegadestar



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Chocobos, Confused Chocobros, Crystal Magic, Dimension Travel, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Full Moon, Gen, Lore - Freeform, Magic, Swords, spells
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-08-07 18:51:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 34,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16413929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Renegadestar/pseuds/Renegadestar
Summary: Noctis returns from his adventure with Sarah to find that the others don't believe him as he babbles on about aliens and a mystery girl. However, when the two are reunited, Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio realize that maybe there is more to the story.





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone. It has been a VERY long time since I have written anything in regards to fanfiction. (almost eight years actually) I am incredibly rusty, so I ask that you bear with me as I find my footing again as a writer. This Noctis and Sarah sidequest was so adorable and I loved the two of them. So this came to be. Hope you enjoy!

Tired. 

That was the first feeling that came to Noctis’ mind. He felt exhausted beyond any other sense he could muster. The final fight to expel that demonized version of the girl was nothing short of stasis levels. He could feel his magic trying desperately trying to reset, but the void he found himself in was not helping. He felt warm and comfortable. Floating in what felt like a endless silence. It was almost as if it wanted him to remain in this relaxed state. Even with the darkness surrounding him, there was comfort. 

_What was her name again? The girl._

He tried to think, but his thoughts were getting muddy with every passing moment. He could see her face, her features cutting through his foggy mind. Long silver hair with pale skin. She had a warm smile and a calming voice. She almost reminded him of Luna. She had saved him once or twice and he had returned the favor. She knew about his friends and that he was a prince. Quick to comment and offer her friendship. He was almost sad to see her go. 

But her name. What was her name? It was becoming harder to think. Harder to remember.

Behind closed eyes, he could feel the world suddenly becoming lighter. His muscles began to relax more as he felt his head lean back, letting his body just start to give in to his exhaustion. He heard sounds of air rushing past his ears and water nearby. Birds were chirping. Sunlight was warm on his skin. But he still refused to let his eyes open.

“What the hell?!” a voice shouted from below him. 

“Catch him!”

Falling. Was he falling? It didn't matter. 

_What was her name?_

Someone latched onto him. He could smell a familiar scent of leather and musk as he was pulled into a tight hold. His head fell back into the crook of a neck, leaning against it like it was normal for him. They were warm, the grasp somewhat comforting. He knew this. It was hazy. But he knew who this was. 

A set of hands gently came to his face. He could feel them moving his head slowly around, brushing through his hair. He always liked when someone did that. It was always relaxing. His father always did that when he was tired or sick. It was so comforting. There was a muffled sound, it sounded like someone calling his name. They sounded frantic, but still surprisingly gentle. Very familiar. 

“...tc. Noct...op...ey...com...on.” 

The words confused him. He just wanted to sleep. Stay in the warmth and just try to rest.

 _What was her name?_

“It's no good. He’s out cold,” 

“His vitals are stable. It just looks like he is sleeping.” a ruffle and the sound of shoes sliding across wet rock. Slowly, things were starting to come more back into focus. But he still couldn't open his eyes. “Let's get him back to the car. We'll head back to the nearest outpost to let him rest. Maybe get some information from some hunters as to what that was.” 

Ignis. It was Ignis’ voice. No one else he knew could give orders like that. He wanted to smile. He was back in his world. With his friends. The thought almost relaxed him more. He could feel the hold on him shift as the person started to move. Only one person could be able to pick him up with no problem. It had to be Gladio. His shield's grasp was strong, refusing to drop him. He couldn't help but relax more, letting out a small breath that hasn't realized he had been holding. 

There was a soft laugh in his ear. “Relax kid. We're here.” He felt himself being pulled under as they walked. He was so tired. Everything began to fade back into the darkness. 

_What was her name?_

“Sarah…”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The fog began to lift again as he felt something soft under his head. He was still warm and comfortable, but it was different this time. Noctis felt himself shift slightly, trying to judge where he was. There was no longer that strong hold, familiar smell of the shield or the sound of water. Instead, his head was on something far more comfortable. Quiet muffled voices spoke while a warm breeze hit his face. He shifted in his spot, feeling a heavy blanket move on top of him with crisp sheets tangled up within his fingers. Moving hurt. His muscles were tense. He could feel his knee and back shoot pain up to his head. He let out a small groan, trying to find some sort of energy. 

Shuffled footsteps were quick and quiet. He felt the mattress dip as a hand rested to his forehead, gently running through his hair. “Noct? Are you back with us?” the voice was soft, filled with worry. 

It was time to leave the comfort of the darkness. Despite the exhaustion still lingering, Noctis finally forced his eyes open. The sunlight hit hard and fast, forcing him to flinch and recoil into the pillows. A sharp hiss escaped his lips, shutting his eyes again on reflex.

“Prompto, the curtains.” Gladio's voice spoke, quickly softening. 

“On it.”

A quick shuffle of feet once more and Noctis could hear the pull of the drapes closing. He tried again, slowly cracking his eyes open. Ignis was the first one to come into focus. His adviser's face relaxed almost immediately as their eyes met. His hair was unstyled and messed, sleeves of his shirt rolled up to just below the elbow. He looked tired with large bags under his eyes behind his glasses. A hand was perched on Noctis’ head. 

“Ig...Ignis?” Noctis choked out, now realizing that his voice was very raw. 

Ignis let out a heavy sigh, dropping his gaze as he found his breath. “Thank the six,” he could hear him mutter. 

“Dude, you're not dead!” Prompto's voice echoed. It was quiet, but still held his normal excitement. He sat at the end of bed, one leg folded up under him. He too looked like he hadn't slept much, hair messed and slouched over. But he still had a look relief as Noct made eye contact. Beside him, Gladio stood firm, arms crossed over his chest. He was the same as ever, always looking like he was on guard duty. And yet he too shared in the exhausted but happy look. 

Blinking a few times, Noctis tried to put together his thoughts. His three friends looked about ten levels of exhausted and he felt like he got beaten up. “What….what happened?” he breathed out at last, forcing himself to try and sit up. His throat was so dry it hurt to speak. “Why do you...guys look...so tired?” 

Ignis placed a hand to his shoulder, keeping him laying down. “Easy. You'll get dizzy if you try to sit up too quickly.” Gently, the man eased the prince into a slightly more upright position, adjusting the pillows behind his head and back. Finally finding a comfortable position, he handed Noct a bottle of water which he graciously accepted. He threw his head back, chugging the water greedily. “Slowly Noct. Don't make yourself sick. You've been out for a while.”

Swallowing the last of the water, he looked back to his friends, feeling more confused. “What? How long?”

“A day and a half. Give or take.” Gladio told. 

Noct felt his face pale. “What?”

Prompto slid up onto the bed more, crossing his legs as he went. “Yeah. You stepped on that weird emblem on the ground and there was a bright flash of light.” the blonde motioned with his hands, indicating almost an explosion of sorts. “And when it faded out, you dropped like a rock. Good thing Gladio’s fast. Caught you right before you hit the ground.” 

Gladio moved around the edge of the bed, finally taking a seat on the opposite side. He let out a tired sigh as he looked Noct in the eye. “We brought you back to Old Lestallum so we could get you some proper rest. You've been out of it. Muttering in your sleep and running a bit of a fever. We checked around with the hunters about what happened, but none of them could give us an answer.”

Prompto leaned in. “Yeah! They said they had never even heard of what we were talking about.” He face fell slightly, “Even David seemed confused by what we were saying.”

“What do you remember Noct?” Ignis questioned, leaning back into his chair. “Can you recall anything at all?”

Looking down to hands in his lap, Noctis swallowed a lump in his throat. Everything he was being told was all a bit to much. Closing his eyes, he tried to urging his aching brain to focus. The panel and the light. That definitely sounded familiar. Hell, he remembered the guys talking frantically, trying to wake him up. But after the light, what was there? 

_**‘You really ought to be more honest about the way you feel...Noct.’** _

The memory hit hard, making him grab his head roughly. He heard the others call his name, asking if he was okay. But he couldn't answer. The glade, the barriers. Strange alien creatures bringing the two chosen to help them. A girl with a smile that was contagious. It all came back fast and suddenly all of his pain was forgotten.

“Noct? Say something buddy.” Prompto said, worry etched in his voice. “You're freaking us out.”

_Her name...what was her name?_

“Sarah!” Noct finally shouted, causing the three Crownsguard to recoil back from him. The prince jumped up quickly, pushing past Ignis trying to grab him back down. He moved to the middle of the room as the thoughts came flooding back. It was all there. The smile on his face grew as the smells and sounds flooded back into his memories. He looked back to his very confused friends who were also on their feet now. Running his hands through his hair he took in his surroundings for a moment. The room was one of the larger ones they had. Two rooms, one with the master bed where he had just been laying down and a small hallway leading down to two more queen beds. Neither seemed as if they had been used. A few chairs sat next to a table, filled with what looked like take-out containers. The doors to the balcony were opened, the curtains had been drawn shut by Prompto before. It looked like his friends hadn't left the room since they arrived. The warm breeze outside filled the room as he turned to the others, all of which were now on their feet. “It's Sarah!” 

Ignis raised an eyebrow as he exchanged a look with the others. “Who is Sarah, Noct?” 

“She was the girl!” Noct exclaimed, finding himself smiling. “When I woke up, I wasn't back with you guys. I was in this...other world. And there was this girl there. She had woken up in the same place as me.” he started to explain. He began pacing back and forth through the room, his bare feet pressing hard into the lush rug as he went. “We had been summoned by these….tiny….aliens to destroy this creature that threatened their dimensional plane.” he paused, trying to catch his breath. It was almost too much information ran through his mind, the hints of his headache threatening to return. “But it took her image before it could steal mine. And we had to fight a shadow clone of her in order to save everyone.” Closing his eyes for a moment, Noctis could see her clear as day. Perfect hair with eyes that almost seemed to sparkle with curiosity. An infectious smile with a voice that soft and soothing. But her stare is what was coming back clear as day. Gentle and full of understanding with a warmth that Noctis found himself missing. His heart twinged at the thought, forcing himself to bring a hand to his chest. "She saved my life...." 

“.....Aliens?” he heard Gladio's voice says, full of skepticism. He turned back to his friends to see the three of them staring at him, each of their faces seemed to share in the uncertainty that Gladio had vocalized. 

But Noctis shook his head, her face vanishing with each shake. “I swear! They knew all about me. They even knew about annoying you guys with fishing and that I'm a prince. And they stole my phone! But Sarah…” And then he paused, the image of the girl coming back to him again. Her deep silver hair with soft blue grey eyes. And a smile that filled him with a comforting feeling. It had been only a few hours with her, but it felt like more. He could feel his face flush slightly as he remembered her smile. 

A hand came to his forehead that made him jump. Ignis was by his side, concern etched into his features. “You are still quite feverish.” he muttered. “And your face is incredibly flushed. Let's get you back to bed and you can get some more--”

“I'm not hallucinating Iggy,” Noct snapped, brushing the hand away. “Sarah and I were together for like...four or five hours. Maybe more! I..I'm not really sure. It's...it's kinda blurred together." He looked back to Prompto and Gladio with a heavy sigh. "You guys should know. You were there waiting for me!”

“Uh...actually,” Prompto interjected, raising a hand to politely cut his friend off. “That light hit you for maybe...half a second? And when the flash ended, you were out cold.”

Noctis looked to the ground, feeling his eyes widen in pure disbelief. “But we fought together. She got my cellphone back for me from those little guys. I saved her life and…” he paused, remembering back to the final battle. She had thrown herself between the evil daemon that absorbed her likeness and Noctis, protecting him from the creature. “She...she risked her own life for mine. “ 

Gladio was now behind him, a firm hand resting on Noct's shoulder. The younger of the two looked up to him. “We were maybe there for ten minutes after you passed out.” He forced him to turn to face him, both hands square on his arms and a stare straight into his a pair of very tired looking blue eyes. “And there was no girl.”

Noctis shook his head lightly. There was no way it was a dream. The glade, the monsters, the fighting. He remembered warping to catch Sarah as she fell from the falls. She tried so hard to save one of the little aliens but ended up needing saving herself. Noctis rarely warped with others as he found it exhausting. And yet with her, it was simple and incredibly natural. Their magic, despite being from other worlds, synced perfectly. The light of the crystal welcomed her with no questions. He could feel her in his arms still, scared but trusting of him as he warped them to safety. And that feeling still lingered. There was no way it was all in his head. 

His breath hitched in his chest as he took a step back from his shield. Pain was starting to replace adrenaline, a horrible pressure building in his temples once more. Bringing a hand up to his face, Noctis felt himself breathing harder and shorter, a strange panic starting to take hold. “No. No...I know what I saw. I know where I was.” It couldn’t have been a simple dream. She was too real. Her laugh, her sarcasm, the way they went from a mess of a team to being so in sync. “I didn’t….she was….”

“Noct, calm down. It’s okay,” Ignis spoke as if he were a wounded animal cornered. He didn’t like it. 

“Yeah dude. Listen to Iggy and Gladio. They just wanna make sure you’re okay.” Prompto chimed in. 

And yet he couldn’t find his calm. Noct knew he was prone to incredibly lucid and detailed dreams. But this was not one of them. Sarah had been no dream. The battle in that coliseum like ruin was not something his mind made up. The pain he felt, the calm she brought. 

“No. You’re wrong. I know what I saw and it was not. in. my. head!” he shouted, taking a step back from the three of his friends. Outstretching his hand, Noctis acted without thinking. Closing his eyes, he reached into the Armiger. A bright flash of blue light and shouts echoed through the room as the weight of a blade came to his hand.

“Whoa Noct! What the---”

“What on earth is that?” 

Noctis’ eyes widened. A long, white sword sat in his hand. The hilt was large, almost like one of the fencing sabers he had used while he was in school. It was half broadsword and half saber with stunning accents of silver along the edge of the blade. It was intricate yet elegant. Lighter than his engine blade, but still held the same type of precision he liked in a sword. Noctis knew what it was in an instant. 

The three of his friends took a step forward, trying to lessen their shock from Noct’s sudden outburst. Gladio couldn’t help but letting a whistle escape his lips. “Now that is one impressive blade.” he muttered. “Don’t remember this in your armiger before.”

“This…” he breathed out, “is Sarah’s blade. She gifted it to me before we parted ways. This... proves…” Noctis swallowed harshly. His headache was back in full force and holding up the sword in front of him was beyond draining. He was shaking from head to toe, every ounce of energy leaving him. He shouldn't have summoned a weapon. Noctis could feel himself lean to the side, his vision blurring and the hold on the blade lessening until he heard a loud clatter. He felt three pairs of hands on him as the floor rushed up to meet him.

“Easy there buddy.”

“Okay you’re done. Back to bed princess.” 

“Easy with him Gladio.” 

Noctis’ head swam as he felt his feet leave the floor and he was back into a hold. They didn’t believe him. Of course not. Why would they? He knew he sounded crazy. Aliens, another world, and a mystery girl. But how could he not tell them. Sarah had been the first girl in forever that genuinely made him smile. The last time being with Luna before the fall of Tenebrae. His eyes slid shut once more.

“And he's out,” Prompto sighed, feeling the extra weight of his now very limp friend draped over his shoulder. “Geez. That was...weird.” He looked up to the other two men, his gaze shooting between the two of them. “Like….weirder than normal.”

“Aliens. He seriously thought there were aliens.” Gladio was deadpan in his expression. Reaching over to the blonde, he pulled Noctis away from him, scooping him into his arms as if it were nothing. Noctis’ head fell limp into his chest, though the faintest hint of pain read across a furrowed brow. Sweat was now dripping freely down his temples and his breath hitched in his chest. The prince's eyes were squinted slightly, a quiet groan barely above a whisper left him. There was normal levels of pale for Noctis and then there was at this moment. He had gone completely ashen in the face. Gladio frowned deeply at the heat radiating from the prince's head. “His fever spiked again. And it’s looking like stasis. No wonder he started babbling nothing but gibberish.”

Prompto got to his feet, running a hand through his hair. “Probably shouldn’t have summoned that sword. He was still running on fumes.”

Ignis straightened up, adjusting the glasses on the bridge of his nose. Over the years, he had been around Noctis during plenty of fever induced rambles. He had always been prone to being sick more often than the average person. And there had been even more stasis bouts through all the years of magic training. But nothing has even come close to what he had just witnessed. His eyes had been focused and his stature was of someone who was awake and functioning. While his words seemed insane, there was nothing off about his long time charge and friend. He was completely lucid. 

“I...am unsure if that was merely a fever talking.” he let slip as his hand came to his chin in thought.

Gladio got to his feet, adjusting for the dead weight now in his arms. “Seriously Iggy? You want to believe his rambling about a mystery girl that saved his life? And gave him her sword?” With two large strides, the shield was across the room. Placing Noctis gently back into bed, he looked over his shoulder, eyebrow raised. “Whatever that panel was, it screwed with him like crazy. I say we give him a few days. Get his head right.”

And yet Ignis shook his head. Looking down to the floor, he felt his eyes widen. The strange white and silver blade sat upon the floor still, refusing to diminish into they crystal’s light once more. It sat in the low light, shimmering in the sliver of sunlight that crept into the hotel room. Raising a brow, he slowly knelt. 

“Noct released this blade and lost consciousness shortly there after,” he observed, letting his hand brush against the hilt and guard carefully. “But something here is very wrong.” 

Gladio crossed his arms with a huff. “And that would be?” 

Prompto came around to where Ignis was kneeling, a hand stroking his chin slightly. Giving the blade a once over as well, he hummed under his breath. “Well it's obvious. The sword didn't disappear,” he deadpanned. Looking to the shield, the blond gave a jokingly smug look, almost as if he was trying to impersonate Ignis. 

The two older men looked to Prompto with a shared look of shock on their faces. Gladio took a small step back, arms falling to his sides in surprise. “What?”

Prompto quickly recoiled to standing up, throwing his hands behind his head with a nervous and uncomfortable laugh. His cheeks flushed as he took a small step back. “I...I mean. Whenever he has hit stasis or has passed out before, his sword disappears because he doesn't have enough magic to sustain it. It's his body's way of kind of...preserving any kind of magic he might have still.” he paused, biting his lip. “I mean...that's how Cor explained it to me during my training. To be honest, I'm still super confused how magic works.”

“That's...actually correct.” Ignis told, gaining a toothy grin from the blonde in response. “Noctis’ armiger is tied to him and his conscious state. If he is not awake, his weapons vanish. We can keep ours, but his will return to the armiger for safe keeping.” Reaching to the ground, he took the rapier like blade into his hand. A small flex of the wrist allowed him to see the intricate smithing work on the guard. The sword was perfectly balanced with a lightweight feel that rivaled very few blades the adviser had wielded in his time. “This blade is...unknown to me. I have never seen it in armory before.” 

“Noctis normally prefers a heavier broadsword,” Gladio spoke quietly, coming over to Ignis' side. Without a word, the blade traded hands. While Ignis was indeed knowledgeable on weapons, the shield was definitely more well versed in swords of all kinds. With a light rotation, he let a small flourish escape him. The blade was moved between both of his hands as if it were nothing. He curled his lip in disapproval. “This feels more like a fencing blade. Not really suited for his fighting style.” 

“So...does that mean he's telling the truth?” Prompto asked, his eyes darting back and forth between the two older men. It was an innocent enough question, seeing the two debate quietly without any real answer to the problem at hand. He looked back to the bed where Gladio had placed his friend. Noctis was back into a deep sleep, though he did not seem restful. His forehead was still slicked with sweat and the bags under his eyes seemed far more pronounced. And yet, he was still, deep within his fever induced dreams, stasis hitting hard. 

Ignis followed the blonde’s gaze as well, his lips pressing into a thin line. “Let's see how he is when he wakes up. If he is still acting odd, then perhaps there is more here than we believe true.” Taking the sword back from Gladio, he gently placed it onto the table. “And perhaps he will have a better idea of where this blade came from.”

“Does that mean you believe him?” Gladio asked, his voice dripping with skepticism. 

And yet, Ignis removed his glasses, pressing his fingers to his eyes to rub them gently. “I am unsure of what I believe. But whatever it is, Noctis has more answers than what he told us.” he lifted his head once more to look at his sleeping ward once more. “All we can do is wait.”


	2. Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kudos and comments. It is really appreciated. Finding my writing groove again has been a challenge, but one that I welcome greatly. Please enjoy part two!

The next time Noctis awoke, everything was quiet. Almost abnormally so for a hotel room stay. Usually the TV would be left on even if they were asleep. Ignis would be cooking or Prompto would be arguing with Gladio for the remote. His vision blurred slightly as he slowly blinked the room back into view. It was dark and hushed. The windows were opened ever so slightly, letting the cool evening breeze flow into the somewhat stuffy room. Letting his head turn on the pillow, Noctis could see three empty potion bottles on the nightstand. An alarm clock reading ‘9:45pm’ was bright enough to make his eyes flinch. Beside that was a bottle of water with a small post it note stuck to the label.

 _“For when you wake up. Food is in the fridge. -Ignis”_

Noctis couldn't help but smile at the thoughtfulness of his friend. It was then that he realized he could hear the faint sounds of his companions breathing. Sitting up slowly so to not get dizzy, the young prince looked about the dark motel room. Prompto and Gladio were nowhere to be seen, meaning they were down the hall in the other room. Over on the sofa, the dark form of Ignis was stretched out, a light blanket thrown over him. He laid on this stomach, his hand falling over the edge, his glasses in his hand. From what it looked like, he had tried to stay awake to look after him. But for the first time in his life, passed out cold before he could complete his task. After all, Ignis was only human. And he had looked so tired before. 

Blinking slowly, Noctis reached for the water. Popping opening the cap, he began to guzzle the water greedily while still trying to stay quiet. The last thing he wanted was to wake his exhausted friend and adviser. He tried to get his bearings, remembering back to when he had last been awake. He definitely felt better than the last time, almost back to full fighting health. Everything was starting to feel some sort of normal once more. The ache in his muscles had lessened greatly and his head barely hurt. Feeling his forehead, Noctis knew whatever kind of fever he had was gone, probably broken while he was asleep. 

Bringing the now empty bottle down from his lips, he felt his heart stop suddenly as his eyes came to the table in front of him. There, sitting in the moonlight, was the white and silver sword. He hadn't dreamt it. He had told the guys everything about Sarah and the realm he had been in. And about the aliens. And he had shown them the sword before he had passed out again. In retrospect, it wasn't something he, in his feverish state, should have done.

Smacking his hand to his forehead, he sighed. “They must think I'm crazy,” he muttered under his breath, letting a hand run through his hair.

Feeling the level of grime on the tips of his hair and skin, he turned up his nose. Noctis pulled back the covers of the bed, slowly rising to his feet. He made sure to test the waters of his balance before taking a step forward, not wanting to end up face first in a less than appetizing motel carpet. He wavered slightly but managed to stay upright. As hushed as he could, Noctis moved into the bathroom. Closing the door, he flicked on the light. There, sitting on the edge of the sink was fresh set of clothes and a towel. Shaking his head with another grin, he silently thanked Ignis. 

Showering quickly so as not to wake the others, Noctis quickly dried off and dressed in his new clothes: a black tee with similar cargo pants similar to his usual choice. Turning off the light, he emerged into the darkened room once more. He was surprised to see that Ignis had not moved an inch from his spot on the sofa. Usually with one single step from Noctis, his adviser would have been up and by his side in an instant. It was almost refreshing to know that he managed to let him and the others sleep a little bit longer than usual. 

Running the towel through his hair, Noct paused once more to look to the table. Sarah's sword shined beautifully, every accent seeming to catch the light of the full moon outside. All of the trials and battles from that world were so fresh in his mind that a small grin formed on his lips at the thought. He let the towel drop around his neck haphazardly, his mind wandering.

‘Sarah,’ he thought, taking in a deep breath and letting a sigh escape him as quietly as possible. He moved across the room his eyes locked upon the sword. Still it continued to gleam, almost growing brighter with every step. ‘I know the guys will probably never believe me about what happened. I must have sounded psychotic when I was babbling earlier.’ Noct paused beside the table, the smile upon his lips softening. ‘But, you were real to me. If I could see you again, I know there would be so much more i could say.’

Reaching out to the blade, he grasped the hilt firmly. It was light in his hold but remarkably balanced. He could feel a warmth rush over his body as he held the blade out in front of him. Soft, warm light continued to emit from the steel, lighting the room ever so slightly. Noctis flourished the blade with ease as he brought it to a halt in front of his face. The blade turned so it laid flat before him, his reflection appearing in the steel. 

‘Maybe we'll see each other again,’ he thought, looking over the blade. Closing his eyes, Noctis rested his head to the cool metal. ‘This is insane. I knew her for a few hours at most. Why am I feeling this way? Every time she crosses my mind, my chest feels tight and my palms start to sweat. It's like how I feel about Luna....’

Noctis paused, letting his eyes open slightly. ‘Wait...do I feel the same for Luna?’ The question posed many uncertain answers. Of course he cared deeply for his childhood friend. But was what he felt just that? Friendship and nothing more? How could he know at this point. He hadn't seen Luna in so many years, how could he make such a claim as to love her? The people in his life had prepared him for so much and there was always a very set path. So how come he felt more confused than ever. 

_‘Noct?’_

The sound of his name made him jump. Looking behind him, he expected to see Ignis sitting up on the sofa, staring at him in confusion as to his actions. And yet, the man slept on, barely having moved an inch on the ugly green sofa. 

_‘Noct? Can you hear me?’_

The voice was soft and distant, forcing him to pull back from the blade quickly. What he thought was the moon reflecting off the edge of the blade, was now shining on its own. It wasn’t terribly bright, but enough to illuminate his face ever so slightly. He stared at the weapon intently, unsure if he was still a little out of it from earlier. 

_‘Follow the light,’_ the voice muttered.

“Huh?” he whispered. “What light?”

A brilliant flash came and went quickly from the blade, forcing Noctis to withdraw. He released the sword, letting it fall to the carpeted floor without too much noise. Staggering back, he gently rubbed his eyes from the sudden light. There were small spots floating around in his line of sight, making him let out a small groan of pain. Ask and ye shall receive was a statement that he used every so often. But now he just wanted to curse it.

“Crap. That hurt,” he growled quietly. Raising his head up from his hands, he blinked a few times hoping to clear his vision. The sword was now on the floor, having had bounced across the floor closer to the door. Looking up slowly, a small ball of light no larger than a baseball, floated in front of him. It was a soft glow, seeming to wisp as it steadied itself into Noctis’ line of sight. He was at a total loss for words, unsure if what he was seeing was indeed real. 

_‘Noct,’_ he heard the light speak again, forcing him to shake his head a little out of his daze. The voice was very familiar, making a small tug in his chest. He studied the glow carefully, unsure if it was a trick or if there was a faint silhouette of someone looking back at him. And if there was how was this even happening. They had parted ways, forcing them both to say goodbye far too soon. _‘Follow the light.’_

And with that, the ball spun around quickly in a circle. It was hard to follow as it zipped through the air like it was nothing. Circling around him, Noctis tried to watch it, but it caused him to spin around in his spot and only made him dizzy. And then, in a blink of an eye, it moved to the window and vanished out into the night. Staggering slightly, Noctis made his way after it to the window, pulling aside the curtain to look out into the night. He looked both ways down the street, raising an eyebrow as he finally spotting it at the edge of town. 

It could have been a trap. It could have been a trick. It could have been his tired, wandering mind playing with his emotions. And yet, he didn't care. Grabbing his jacket from the rack by the door, he quickly slid into his boots. He tossed the towel around his neck to the table in a heap while he slid his coat on in a hurry. In a brief moment, he considered grabbing the keys to the Regalia. However in his over organized fashion, Ignis had put them somewhere for safe keeping. And since Noctis had been unconscious, he hadn't the foggiest idea where they might be. Shaking his head, he grabbed the sword from the floor and headed for the door. He couldn't stop. No matter how much it might come back to bite him, he needed an answer as to why he was hearing her voice. 

Stepping out of the room, he turned to look out over the small outpost. The Regalia was right out front, a light coat of raindrops clinging to the flawless paint job. The streets were clear of all people with a few streetlamps blazing to keep the daemons at bay for the night. Looking to both sides, he tried to find the light again. He had hoped that it hadn't left or even vanished, making him feel panicked. But sure enough, at the edge of town was the small sphere, looking as if it was waiting for him. It was leading him away from the safety of the outpost, making the prince hesitate for a moment. 

Gripping the sword tighter in his hand, he took in a deep breath. Reaching up to his coat, he turned on his small lapel light as he hurried away from the hotel. His feet skidded on the gravel as he bolted across the parking lot, not bothering to look back. He wanted answers. And if meant possibly angering his friends by disappearing during the night, then he was willing to risk it. He could hear her voice and he needed to know why.

Noctis reached into his pocket, pulling out the chocobo whistle. He let out a shrill blow onto the darkness, quickly storing it again for safe keeping. Within mere moments, a loud squawk came up behind him. There was no way to hide his smile when his bird came up beside him. Silver feathers shown in the low light of his jacket torch with a thick leather saddle covered in a layer of rain as well. At least this way, he knew he wouldn't be alone for the whole trip. Chocobos were loyal animals. And Noctis knew that if he needed any help in a fight, she would be there. 

Grabbing hold of the reins, he gave the bird's neck a scratch. “Thanks for coming Sabrina,” he muttered. The bird chirped lovingly as she shook her feathers to rid herself of some the rain. With a laugh, Noctis placed the sword into a small space on the side of the saddle. It was built into all hunter's retails for them to have a place to store their weapons. Not everyone was lucky enough to have an infinite magical weapons arsenal. So it was fortunate that it was there. He feared in sending the weapon away that the voice and light would vanish. Noctis mounted his ride, making sure he had a firm grip on the leather straps and bridle. He looked up again to the light, seeing it still waiting for him. 

“Okay,” he said aloud. “Lead on.”

As if the light understood him, it bolted off into the night. Giving a quick squeeze with his heels, the chocobo took after it. Noctis kept up a quick pace, trying to keep the glowing ball within a close range. Looking back over his shoulder, the light of the town began to fade into the distance as they kept going. While he had hoped that maybe there would be some beaten path, not even two hundred yards out from the outpost, the light jumped from the road, taking off into the open plain. The ground was damp with rain from earlier that day as his chocobo’s foot slipped and skidded in some of the mud remaining. He bit his lip, trying desperately to keep the bird and him from falling to the muddy earth. But he knew he had to stay focused on the light ahead of him. There wasn’t a voice from it since it told him to follow, but it kept up in front of him. 

Traveling by chocobo was probably one of Noctis' favorite methods of transportation. The Regalia was great and all, but it didn't allow for this level of exploring of the lands around him. He felt like he could ride on for hours some days while they were roaming around for hunts. Each one of his friends had developed a special relationship with their bird, making them very useful when it came to battle. But it was more than that. Looking up for a moment, Noctis took in the night sky. Being so far away from any outposts or cities, the stars and the moon were nothing short of spectacular to look at. Even the highest view of Insomnia during the evening hours paled in comparison to the open sky of Eos at night. Being nocturnal did have its benefits sometimes for the prince. Despite his love of sleep, he lived for nights like this. Riding along the open plains with a cool breeze and the endless night sky with no daemons or Imperials to ruin it. It was nothing short of perfect. 

"The guys would love this,' he thought with a smile. And yet a slight feeling of dread lingered. After the guys woke up and found him gone, he would be in for such a punishment. Gladio would make him train harder than ever. Ignis would surely scold him for rushing off without a word. And Prompto would make sure to document him being put through the training from hell. But none of it mattered. It would be worth it. Noctis knew it would be okay in some way. 

They had now reached a thicket of trees and brush. Sabrina was barely winded even after all of the running that Noctis had pushed on her to keep up with the light. He made a note to make sure she would get extra greens when they finally hit their destination. Having been so focused on the light before him, it took Noctis a moment to realize he was in a wooded area that seemed incredibly unfamiliar. Looking around, there were tall oak trees in every direction with shorter brush along the unbeaten path. He didn't even stop to think how long he had been riding. All he knew was he had to keep going. That was until the ball darted through some thicker brush, forcing the bird to stop. 

“Damnit,” he muttered, drawing back on the reins. He had no choice but to continue on foot. Frowning slightly, he quickly dismounted the chocobo. The saddle bag was the first thing he went for and then placed a hand onto the side of Sabrina's neck. Noctis gave her a scratch and held out the greens he had grabbed, remembering the promise he made to himself. The bird ate them quickly and happily, a soft wark escaping her. 

“Thanks for the ride,” he spoke with a warm smile. Grabbing the sword from its place on the saddle, he turned back to the brush. This was becoming more or an epic quest than he was prepared for. But nevertheless Noctis knew he had to continue. Ducking his way through the overgrowth of weeds and brush, he bit his lip as he struggled slightly through but managed to make it to the other side mostly unscathed. Except for the small branch that managed to get stuck in his unstyled messy hair. Rolling his eyes slightly, he plucked it out, shaking his head to make sure everything was gone. 

The light started up a steep incline hill towards a small break in a rock wall ahead. It was covered in thick ivy and vines, as if never touched by other humans. Noct pushed onward, tucking the sword into his belt so as to try and keep his balance in check on the wet earth. With extreme caution, he started up the slick incline. His boots wanted to slip out from under him, as they were definitely not made for hiking in wet terrain. Nearing the top, a burning started in his knee. He grit his teeth together with every step, pushing through any ache his body forced on him. All he could do was just keep telling himself that it would be worth it for answers. Just keep going.

Upon reaching the rock, he could see the break in the wall far better. It looked big enough for him to squeeze through without too much trouble. And on the other side, the light waited. Taking in a deep breath, he started through. Noctis used his hands against the rock to help guide himself through the narrow passage. The blade tip kept clacking along the rock, echoing up through the rock into the clear night air. He knew that if the others were here, Prompto would be freaking out about the tight space and Gladio would be struggling to shove himself through the small space. Ignis was be telling him to watch for sharp edges so as not to injury himself. The thought made him chuckle slightly. His friends and retainers were indeed a strange assortment of people. 

Stepping out into the other side, Noctis couldn't help but stop in surprise. The air was crisp and the breeze soft as he took in his surroundings carefully. Ancient looking willow trees were as far as he could see in the dark. The branches were covered in hundreds of small white flowers that also littered the ground. The branches rustled lightly in the wind as petals came down to the ground. Large stone walls of the mountain encircled the area. It appeared that this was an out cove in the hillside's stone, yet it did not feel as if it were a natural occurrence. Looking down, he couldn't help but tilt his head. A small stone path was barely visible beneath fallen peddles and overgrowth as it lead into the glade. And there up ahead was the light. It was stopped at last, making Noctis want to hurry.

He started off once more, every so often brushing branches of the trees from his way. He continued to take in the area as he moved along. Scattered among the trees were large ancient stone pillars. Moss and other vegetation had started their way up the engravings, though nature had taken its toll on them. The cravings were now mostly eroded away from the elements. A few even had large cracks or chunks of stone missing from them. A large stone archway greeted him at the end of the small pathway. The same white flowers seemed to have taken root here as they covered spots among the vines and crumbling stone. Passing through the arch, the space suddenly became empty. There was a large stone area, dusted in the same white flowers and petals. The ground was damp from the rain and the stone and symbols carved were very faint to his eyes. On the far edge of the circle were even more of the willow trees and further past still, another large stone wall. It almost reminded him of the area that he and Sarah had fought her double in back in the other world. And the there, in the middle of it all was the light. 

Letting out a tired sigh, Noctis approached slowly. “You said follow. And I did.” he said, suddenly realizing how winded he sounded from all the climbing and riding. “Why did you have me chase you halfway across Eos? Why here?” 

_‘You wish to see her?’_

Noctis bit his lip at the thought. His hand rested to his belt, brushing against the hilt. “Of course I do,” he muttered, looking to the sword at his side. 

_‘Place the sword you carry into the middle of this seal.’_

Looking back to the middle once more, the light was now circling around. There was a small slit, just large enough to place the blade that it was guiding him to. There was no more hesitation. After all, he had come all these way. What was he going to do? Say no thanks? I'm good but thanks for the lovely tour? Withdrawing the blade from his side, he moved up and in one fluid motion, slid it into the spot. 

“....and nothing happened,” he muttered. He straightened up, crossing his arms. 

_‘Impatient is the young king,’_ the light spoke. Noctis raised an eyebrow more so at the fact that he had just been disciplined by a disembodied voice. _‘To the edge of the seal with you. Summon forth the weapons of the kings of old. Strike the blade. Be reunited once more in the light of the full moon.’_

And Noctis obeyed. Looking up as he began to the edge, the clouds had begun to part. Sure enough, emerging from behind the cloud cover on cue, was one of the largest full moons he had ever seen. It illuminated the area around him, making the white flowers glow brightly. The entire feeling the glade changed, making it almost fueled by magic. Moving to the edge of the circle in a light jog, he turned to face back to the middle. He looked around the large area once more, a lump in his throat forming. He was unsure if this was real still or some kind of lucid dream. The light settled into the hilt of the sword, awaiting his summoning. 

With one final deep breath, Noctis extended his hand out before him. He closed his eyes, searched within the power of the crystal for the strength to summon forth the royal arms. It was no easy task in normal situations, let alone for something so precise. ‘Kings of old,’ he thought, a familiar surge of power forming in his fingertips, ‘Lend me your strength. Come forth.’ 

With a flick of his wrist, the translucent crystal weapons exploded to life around him. They slowly circled about him, taking a moment to reorient themselves from being summoned. Noctis exhaled heavily, feeling sweat pouring down the sides of his face. He could feel his energy slowly beginning to fade, meaning he had to work fast. Throwing his hands out to his sides, he pushed the weapons out from him, sending them out to different points around the large seal. They paused, hovering above their position on the circle, waiting for instructions from their new king. As the last weapon fell into place, the cravings in the stone of the pillars and ground slowly began to pulse with a faint gold light. Despite being confused from sudden light show, Noctis had to stay focused. He still wasn't used to the summoning of just the royal arms and was feeling the strain. 

_‘By the light of the gods of Terra and the Kings of Lucis,’_ he heard the light speak once more, _‘Reunite those chosen souls in the light of the moon.’_

Noctis couldn't hold back any longer. Throwing his hands forward in front of him, the swords obeyed. Thirteen weapons shot forward within the blink of an eye, striking the blade and light within the center. Noctis braced himself for the sound of an explosion of sorts. Or at least a loud clatter of steel hitting steel. And yet, all that came was a rush of air into his face. The gold light exploded from the ground, making him instantly shield his eyes and look away. The wind picked, nearly throwing him off his feet. But he kept his balance firm, trying desperately to see what was happening. And yet the light was too much, forcing him to finally close his eyes.

_'It is done. By fate be united until morning's first light,"_

As the light faded and the wind fell back to a breeze from the center of the ruins, Noctis let his hand slowly drop from his eyes. He blinked a few times, allowing his eyes to adjust once more to his moonlit surroundings. Everything had reverted back to its still and beautiful self, except for one thing that made his face pale. There, in the middle of the circle, stood a girl surrounded in golden light. She had let her boots slowly come down to the ground, her grey hair gently falling around her face. Her white dress seemed to billow in a light breeze, one arm covered in elegant battle armor. Every movement was graceful as she found her footing, exhaling deeply. There was a faint glow that surrounded her that made her feel almost like a dream. 

Was this a dream? Was his mind still wandering through a sleep filled haze? Noctis felt a lump form in his throat. This wasn’t possible. There was no way it could be real. He took a small step forward. How could she be here? 

There was no mistake.

Before one more step could be taken, the gold light that surrounded her faded away, dispersing into tiny points. The breeze that moved her hair and dress vanished and for a moment, she stood perfectly still. Noctis felt his breath hold in his chest, preparing himself for any possible situation. 

She swayed to the side, a soft exhale coming from her lips. Noctis was quick on his feet, crossing the clearing in a few long strides. He held out his arms, letting her fall into him. She was light as she rested into his arms. Noct quickly let himself kneel to make sure not to lose his grip on her. He turned her gingerly to get a better look at her face. Pale, but not sickly, she looked completely at peace. 

His breath hitching in his throat, Noctis gently shook the sleeping girl. “Hey. Wake up.” 

Holding his breath, she suddenly started to stir. Noctis held tightly to her, wanting to make sure that she was safe. It had been a lot of power summoned forth with the usage of the royal arms and her blade. He wasn't feeling too energetic himself as the weapons drew from his power. But he had slept enough. Now he had to make sure that whatever that was, she was okay. Slowly, blue grey eyes opened to meet his. Noctis couldn't help letting a smile form. 

“Sarah?”

“Noct?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is kind of writing itself as it goes. I kind of like where it is going and might be more like three or four parts. I'm actually kind of excited to see where it goes! Thank you for reading and stay tuned!


	3. Part III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Sorry for the wait. I have been working on trying to get this to go in a direction I was happy with and now I have a good plan. I figure, release a chapter on my birthday for fun times. Enjoy everyone!

Shifting slightly in his sleep, Ignis let out a small sigh. While he never would openly admit to the others, but there was always something nice about staying at these smaller outposts. There was quiet without the roughing it of the outdoors. And unlike back in Insomnia, there was a strange peacefulness to these outlying towns. There were very few things that Ignis took a small joy in, but that wonderful silence. And after tiring days of driving, hunts, and anything else, there was really nothing better.

“What the? What is---How the f---” 

The last few days had been trying to say the least. While getting minimal sleep due to having to care for his charge, Ignis had gone into full guardian mode. While making sure he was okay on all fronts, he was also trying to find answers as to why Noctis had suddenly been going on about aliens. It had been strange to say the least. They had received a mysterious request to investigate a seal in the middle of the woods. Upon arriving, Noct had run ahead to try and get a better look. At that point, there had already felt like something was off. While Prompto and Gladio were walking around this strange thing in the group, the prince seemed to start to act confused. Like he was hearing something. Before he could say something, Noct stepped onto the emblem and became engulfed in the light. And then, he was out. Ignis couldn’t figure it out. 

“Ignis! Wake up!” 

The voice was loud in his ear as he groaned slightly into his pillow. For a moment, Ignis wanted nothing more than to bury his face to try and get some more solid sleep. He didn’t even realize how exhausted he had been after watching over Noctis. Not to mention after his charge’s small breakdown, he had become even more concerned. There were very few times on the adviser's life where he felt like he had been that deeply asleep. He was feeling remarkably refreshed and revived after such an solid few hours of-

Letting his eyes widen, Ignis shot up from his spot on the couch. He had been on his stomach, making it hard to find his balance. In his rush to sit up, he ended up colliding with the floor unceremoniously. He let out a short groan of pain as the sudden realization of the position he was sleeping was ten levels of uncomfortable. He grabbed at his neck with a hiss, letting his eyes suddenly look towards the ceiling. The lights were now on, making him squint slightly. Two blurred figures stood above him. One looking slightly amused and the other stern. 

“Here ya go Iggy. You dropped these.” Prompto said, muffling his laugh as he slid a pair of glasses onto the man's face. 

Suddenly everything was clear. Both of his friends were still dressed for bed, though looking as if they had gotten up in a hurry. Prompto's hair was more untamed than usual as his smile quickly started to fade. Gladio's face was beyond angry as he outstretched his hand to him, hosting him to his feet. 

“We have a big problem,” the shield growled, letting Ignis find his balance. 

And yet, Ignis was still trying to wake up. Letting a small yawn escape him, he adjusted his glasses as he glanced over at the microwave in the kitchen. The clock read ‘11:06pm.’ Blinking for a moment, Ignis tried to get this thoughts in order. “What happened? I know I fell asleep when I was watching Noct. I guess I was far more tired than I-”

“But that's just it. Noct is the problem.” Gladio cut him off, his eyes motioning towards the bed. 

Feeling his blood turn cold, Ignis’ eyes quickly shot over to the bed they had left the prince in a few hours ago. Every possible scenario came running through his mind. He had gotten worse. He was hallucinating again. Each one getting darker and darker than the next. And then he saw it. The thing that hadn’t even crossed his mind in the slightest. The bed was empty, covers drawn back and looked just unkempt. There was no sign of him at all. 

“What in the seven hells is going on?” Ignis demanded, looking back at the other two men, shock and fear washing over him. “Where is he?!”

Prompto crossed his arms, his face filled with concern. His brow furrowed as he looked to the floor, his toes curling into the rug nervously. He kept biting his lip as his hair fell into his face, unsure of where to start. “We were hoping you might have heard or seen something. Gladio got up to get a drink and saw that his bed was empty and the door was left opened. I'm actually surprised you slept through whatever happened. Especially when Gladio was cursing up a storm.” 

Ignis finally started to get a sense of calm back. He needed to find focus. The one person the three of them were meant to protect at all costs was now missing. Straightening up, he started across the room towards the bed. “We need to stay calm,” he breathed, looking over the end table. Looking at the bottle of water he had left, he took note of it being empty. “From the looks of it, he took the water I left for him and drank it.” 

Prompto came up beside the adviser, taking in a deep breath to calm his nerves. While the blond tended to get far more anxious than the other two members of the guard, he knew now was not the time for a freak out. His best friend was missing after a very uncharacteristic meltdown. “I checked the bathroom. The clothes you left him are gone. And by the looks of it,” he pointed over to the table, a white towel left atop a chair. “He showered as well.”

Taking a large stride to the small dining table, Gladio picked up the terrycloth towel in question. Noct was known for trying his patience with his dumb choices. Especially when he was in high school. While Prompto was behind some of his bad choices, he knew the prince was incredibly capable of them on his own. As he got older, he began to understand why Gladio and Ignis were always on his case. A few failed attempts on his life saw to that. And then there were the moments where all sense left Noct’s brain and he pulled stunts like what he was doing now. 

But there was something missing. Something major. Before they had turned in for the night, Ignis had placed the strange new sword on the table. He figured once Noct was out of statis, he would be able to send it back to the armory. All three of them had tried and all three had failed miserably. Prompto had even managed to drop the hilt onto his foot by accident. Granted, he wasn’t still completely trained. But still a mild embarrassment for him. Wherever he had gone off to, the new sword had gone with him. Slowly piecing the scene together, Gladio bit his lip slightly in thought. He knew everything about the prince at this point in his life, but even now his movements were more abnormal from his usual self. 

A cool breeze brought Gladio’s attention back to the situation. Looking up, he let his eyes narrow, seeing that the air he felt on his face came not from one of the open windows, but instead the door to the room. It was opened a fair bit, surprising him that he had not noticed it before. Taking a large few strides, he took in the situation. No forced entry, so that meant no abduction. Beside the door, Noctis’ boots and jacket were missing. It looked like wherever he was going, he left in a hurry, not bothering to make sure that the door had shut all the way. Moving to the door, Gladio threw it open, looking out onto the empty town in front of him. The rain had cleared up, leaving everything coated in a light damp look. The Regalia was still parked in front of their room, right where Ignis has left it a few days ago. He looked about carefully, taking everything, looking for some clue. 

“Did you see something Gladio?” Ignis’ voice cut through his thoughts. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the adviser step out into the night air after him. Prompto was quick to follow, letting a small yawn escape him. 

A small huff escaped him as his frustration started to build. “He grabbed his coat and boots and left the door opened in a hurry. Whatever happened, he hightailed it out of here quickly.” Moving off the wooden porch of the motel, he stepped onto the wet gravel with his bare feet. Walking around on rough ground barefoot was nothing to him. After all the years of hiking and just being out in the wilderness, Gladio thought nothing of it. Kneeling down, he looked over the ground carefully. While it was barely visible, there were slight footprints with a skid in the gravel. There was no doubt about it. “Looks like he got a bit tripped up but he completely ignored the Regalia. It looks like he headed off towards the edge of town.” Getting back to his feet, Gladio let out a small grunt. “Basically, he was able to get up, shower, and bolt out of the room in a hurry with that mystery sword. And he didn’t manage to wake up any of us doing it.” 

Prompto let his shoulders fall as he let out a sigh. “We have to be the worst Crownsguard ever. We seem to lose our prince more than we are actually protecting him.” He paused, running his hand through his messed hair, letting his hand pause on his neck. “To be perfectly honest, when we was awake before. We weren’t really being great friends to him either.”

“Speak for yourself,” Gladio huffed, crossing his arms looking like he wanted to punch something. “Kid was completely out of it. Rambling on about things that didn’t make sense.” 

Adjusting his glasses, Ignis pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. He knew that this was his fault. He fell asleep when he knew he needed to be keeping an eye on Noctis and now he was gone. But instead of placing blame on the circumstances, he needed to focus. Looking out onto the empty road, he tried to put himself into Noctis’ mind space. If he needed to get somewhere, normally he would have taken the Regalia. But knowing him, he didn’t know where the keys were. Ignis made sure the keys were where he knew where to find them after a small joyride incident with Prompto that landed the car in the shop with Cindy. So what would have been the other option? 

It hit like Ramuh had just struck him down. His shoulders straightened up as he looked out into the inky blankness ahead of him. “Sabrina,” he muttered. Ignis felt his mind running a mile a minute as suddenly everything fell into place. How could it have been such an oversight. “He must have taken Sabrina.” 

Prompto and Gladio looked to him in surprise. Both had the same realization as Ignis, making the both of them furrow their brows in thought. “Makes sense,” Gladio muttered, looking back to darken streets. “Noct might be acting stupid right now, but he isn’t dumb. He knows better to head out at night without his chocobo.” 

“While correct, that’s not what I mean,” Turning on his heels, Ignis hurried back inside. Pausing for a moment, he tried to collect his thoughts. Looking around the room for a moment, he hurried over to the kitchenette. He had plugged his phone into one of the outlets there to let his phone charge. He figured if he had to get up to turn off his alarm, having it next to the pot of coffee would be the most ideal situation. Unplugging it, he turned back to find Gladio and Prompto now back in the room with him. He slid his thumb across the screen to unlock it, finally finding some form of focus again. “Before we left Wiz’s the last time, he asked me to try out a new little piece of tech for him. He apparently had someone create an app for the outpost and the chocobos.”

“Wait wait wait,” Prompto began, throwing his hand up to silence Ignis. “There is an APP for the CHOCOBOS?! And I was not informed about this because--OUCH!” He was quickly silenced by a stern smack to the back of his head by Gladio. 

“Do you honestly think this is the right time Prompto?” he questioned with a glare, gaining a small pout as the blond continued to rub the back of his head. 

Ignis couldn’t help but roll his eyes. He was expecting well trained guards of the royal family to be standing there. Instead it felt as if he had a black and white film comedy duo. Continuing to scroll through his phone, ignoring the banter that continued on, he finally found the small icon on the screen. It was a tiny, sixteen bit looking image of a Chocobo in the design of Wiz’s logo. Clicking on it, the jumped to the loading screen. “I have been messing around with some of the features per his request, when I remembered on very important feature he mentioned.” 

Gladio once again huffed in annoyance. “Get to the point Iggy. We are wasting time we could be out looking for him.” 

Shooting a stare that could kill a normal man, Ignis finally found what he was looking for. Clicking on another icon, the screen turned over to something different. “Wiz has equipped each chocobo with a tracking system. This way, if the bird was to wander off during a battle or you need to know how close by your rental is, it can show you the exact location of you or your party’s bird. Meaning,” 

Prompto’s face lit up as the last puzzle piece fell into place. “We can use this to find Sabrina!” he exclaimed, running up to Ignis’ side to get a better look. 

“We find Sabrina,” Gladio added, coming up on the other side. 

“We find Noct.” Ignis finished. 

A loud ping echoed through the room as a small red dot appeared on the map. The three of them leaned in over the phone. Prompto was the first to raise an eyebrow at what he was seeing. “Are….are you sure that’s right? How the hell did he get all the way out into the middle of nowhere so fast?!” 

And yet Ignis couldn’t help but ignore the very valid question. It appeared Noct had left far earlier than they had thought. He had a million and one things he wanted to ask his younger charge. He wasn’t mad at him per say. He was more curious at to what on Eos had driven him to run off in the middle of the night, without them, and take a chocobo so far out into the middle of nowhere. The place was probably crawling with daemons or worse. Taking in one last deep breath, he gave himself a nod. Noct was very capable of handling himself and whatever could be thrown at him. But whatever this was about had better been worth it.

“Get dressed. We leave in five.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This has become a much longer story than I anticipated, but I'm kinda excited for you guys to read what is coming up. 
> 
> Thank you and Stay Tuned!


	4. Part IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for waiting for this part. I really could not find a break point to break this down into two chapters. So it is one really big chapter. Please enjoy!

For a moment, Noctis wasn’t sure if what happened was real. The swords, the light, the trek across the plains. It all seemed like a blur in the back of his mind. The cool breeze in the air acting like a shock as he sat there, a set of ash blue eyes staring through him. In his arms was someone he never thought he would see again. Her hair fell over his arm as he supported her carefully, uncertainty of how any of this was happening buzzing through his thoughts. Her gaze seemed hazy, as if she were confused about what was happening. Her breath was gentle, showing no panic as she stared at him, seemingly in just as much shock as he was. 

“Noct?” she muttered, causing him to nod slightly. Reaching up, she let a hand come to the side if his face. For a moment she hesitated, barely gracing the side of his cheek with her finger tips. She bit her lip, taking in his gaze. Her touch was gentle as she pushed some of his hair from his eyes. “You're...real right? This isn't some horrible game my mind is playing on me.” 

His smile growing wide, Noct let a small sigh escape him. “I was going to ask the same thing,” he muttered, “But you’re real.”

Sarah's smile grew, a sudden shot of energy jolting from her body. Eyes focusing quickly, they began to sparkle with excitement. “Noct!” she shouted with delight, throwing her arms out to him. Feeling a tight grasp come to him, the prince lost his balance, sending him falling backwards off his knees. Sarah's embrace wrapped around his neck tightly as she buried her face into his chest. Her laugh echoed into the night as he let a surprised gasp leave his lips. He attempted to catch himself before he could fall all the way back. For a moment, he just let himself be embraced. He could feel her breath on his neck and chest, offering some small warmth against the cool air. She clung to him as if almost worried that he had lied and would vanish. Bringing up his arms after finding his balance Noct finally returned the hug. 

“You're here,” he spoke. He was overwhelmed. What else could he do but return the embrace? After everything else that had happened that night why shouldn’t he let a girl who he never thought he would see again give him a hug? 

“Yes….here.” Sarah stiffened suddenly, pulling away from Noct. Letting her head quickly look side to side, she let herself slip free of his hold. “Wait,” she muttered. Looking around a bit more, she pushed her weight from Noct, letting him fall completely to the ground. He let a small grunt escape him as he collided with the hard stone. She was now up on her feet, twirling herself about as she seemed to be taking every last little detail. From looking up to the sky to where she had been standing. “But...where exactly...is here?” Stopping in her tracks, she looked back over her shoulder to wear Noct was still sat upon the ground. “Where are we?” 

Noct moved himself back up, crossing his legs in front of him as he went. He let his arms rest on his knees as he looked at Sarah carefully. She stared back at him with confusion, but still there was no fear. She stood about three feet away, letting the cool night breeze blow through her hair and sweep her dress gently. Her hand rest to her chest clenched tightly in a fist as if to help keep her cool. Rising to his feet with a quiet sigh, Noct started to dust himself off. “It seems that you are in my world.” Putting his hands out to the side, he looked around slowly. “Welcome to Eos.” 

Sarah trailed her eyes to the moss covered stone beneath her feet. She needed a moment to let everything sink in as she thought about the words that he had just said. “I...it makes sense.” she muttered as brought her hand to her lip in thought, her teeth biting lightly as she seemed to slowly process.

Noct crossed his arms huffing out a small laugh. That was not what he expected her to say at all. “Huh. I’m glad it’s making sense for one of us,” he told flatly. “Because I really haven’t had a moment to process this whole situation yet and I know the guys--”

“No, you don’t understand,” Sarah interrupted him, dropping her hand as she turned. She tugged slightly as something around her neck nervously attempting to not make eye contact yet. “I was asleep in my room. According to my friends, I had been asleep for over a day and a half after I came back to my world. While they were asleep in another room, I was suddenly awakened by this,” she stopped, opening up her hand. There, sitting in her palm, was a necklace. A small ruby sat within a simple silver setting as a thin silver chain slid up around her neck. 

Dropping his arms in shock, Noct’s eyes widened. “The protection charm I gave you,” he muttered, his mouth suddenly going dry. Before they had left the Hiso world, Sarah had given him the replica’s sword as a memento of their time together. She had said that he could use another weapon that was quicker than that heavy engine blade. Once the false god had vanished, the blade turned itself to a white color, almost an exact replica of her own blade. In exchange Noct had offered her one of the accessories he had stored in the armiger. Seeing how often she would get beat up or how she would take hits for others, he thought something to up her defense would be appropriate. It was something small, but it made him glad that she was wearing it still. 

Moving closer to him, she nodded, “Yes exactly! This necklace you gave me was glowing all strangely. And then all of a sudden,” 

“A small ball of light appeared and told you to follow it?” he finished her sentence. Sarah recoiled, more surprised than taken aback. “The same thing happened with your sword and me.” He motioned with this head to behind the pair of them. Sarah took a quick glance to see that the copy of her blade was stuck into the center of the giant emblem. “It led me here and after a little power boost from my armiger, boom. You were here,” Noct explained. Moving past her, he walked back to the center of the seal, placing a hand to the hilt of the blade. “‘By the light of the gods of Terra and the Kings of Old of Lucis, Reunite those chosen souls in the light of the moon.’ That's the last thing the light spoke right before you appeared.” 

As Noct pulled the sword from the ground, Sarah tilted her head in thought. “That's strange,” she began, moving to come up beside the young man. Extending out the blade in front of him, he merely let it vanish back into what he called the ‘armiger’. According to the Hiso, it was how he stored his weapons, curatives, and other items. In the grand scheme of things, it was quite a useful magic. All Sarah could do was make her sword disappear and reappear at will. Nothing like what he had. “When the light engulfed me, it said ‘Until the moon sets and the sun rises.’

“Hm,” Noct looked to the ground, pondering the words. “Basically, we only have until dawn before you go back to your world.” he was blunt and straightforward, a quality that had rubbed off on him from Gladio. He mentally slapped himself on the forehead, regretting how rude he must of sounded. 

“But...why?” She asked, “Why were we brought back together?” 

Noct could only shrug. “When the gods plan something, I usually have no choice but to listen.”

And yet a light laugh entered his ears, making him look up. Sarah stood with her hands behind her back, a mischievous look in her eye. She locked eyes with him, making it very difficult to look away. He suddenly felt ten levels of concern flood through him. “Well, since we only have a few hours together,” her voice trailed off.

Noct felt his face flush slightly as she started towards him slowly. The way she stared at him so intensely made him uneasy. He didn't like the unknown thought process the girl had. Swallowing harshly, he tried to keep some calm as she got dangerously close to him again. “Yeah?” he asked. 

Grabbing hold of his hand, Sarah started to pull him forward. The prince nearly lost his balance as she tugged at his arm. “You have to show me around as much as possible!” she exclaimed as she headed for the edge of the clearing. “I want to meet your friends. And see this ‘Regalia’ the Hiso mentioned. And..” 

Noct couldn't help but let a small breath escape him. Her enthusiasm was welcomed as he staggered along behind her. She listed off a bunch of things. And yet, in a typical Noct fashion, he dug his feet into the ground, quickly halting their progression. Sarah stopped with a jolt, letting her gaze fall back to Noct. “Whoa. Let's...take this one thing at a time,” he started. “And remember what I told you when we first met. None of this you making all the decisions. A team remember?” 

Releasing his arm, Sarah had the faintest hint of pink brush her cheeks. ”Right. Sorry. I mean, I just got really excited. A new world! Your world! I would...love a tour if you are up for it.” 

“A tour?” he couldn’t help but let a small chuckle escape. “This place is...pretty big. How about we start small by taking a walk?” Noct offered up as an idea. It was a silly idea, but would let Sarah be able to take in a bunch of the area and world. Starting off across the clearing, he could hear Sarah's boots scuff along the ground as she hurried to catch up with him. Maybe this could be a way to get to know her a bit more. Until dawn was not a lot of time with this girl. While thankful for whatever magic deemed them worthy of this chance, it just didn't seem enough. And it was almost midnight now. He doubted he could show her all the things she wanted to see, but at least he could spend the time with her.

Coming up beside him at last, the girl matched his pace with ease. For a moment, silence hung in the night air. Noct could not think of a way to end it. It was almost deafening. “Well, while taking this walk,” Sarah smiled mischievously, making Noctis raise an eyebrow without a second thought. The first thing that popped into his head was that she and Prompto would get along great. Whenever his best friend had an idea that he wasn’t sure about, he always seemed to have a similar look. “Why don’t we play a game?” 

Yup. It was an idea he was incredibly unsure about. “A game? Like what?” 

Bringing her hand up to her chin, Sarah pursed her lips slightly as she began to think. There was a moment of silence between them that almost made Noct a bit nervous. Once again, he was really starting to think she would get along with his friends. There was an air to her that just made him want to be in a constant state of smiling. For the first time in what felt like ages, he started to feel relaxed. He didn't care about whatever punishment might wait for him from the guys. For once, he was going to try and live in the moment. It took a small snap from Sarah’s fingers to bring him out of his slight daze. 

“Do you have a game in your world called ‘20 questions?’” she asked. “You know, when one person asks something and the other person has to answer truthfully.” 

Noct let his smile grow. “Yeah. For some reason I think that is the one game that might be something universal.” 

Sarah clapped her hands together in front of her in delight, eyes sparkling with excitement. “Perfect! And since I am the guest here, I get to go first.” And with that, she turned on her heels and started to walk.

Noctis wanted to try and argue that he deserved the home field advantage. Heck, because of the Hiso, she already knew way more about him than he did about her. Sarah was still a mystery in her own right. Now was the chance to find out more and he was excited to do so. He started to jog to catch up, quickly coming up to her side. 

“Okay. Then for once I'm an open book. What do you want to know?” Would he regret saying that? Probably. But what else did he have to lose? 

Giving a small nod, Sarah placed her hands behind her back. The two started to walk together through the weeping willow branches. The clouds that once covered the full moon were now gone. Moonlight now flooded the area, the white flowers glowed dimly around them. Their pace was slow as they started down the rocky path that led Noct into the ruins, kicking up some petals as they went. Despite the light show of her appearing into this world, this moment was quiet. He always liked quiet and this was perfection. 

“First question,” Sarah began. Keeping her gaze forward, she nodded to herself. “Where were you born?” 

Noctis was almost surprised. It was a pretty basic question. Guess it was easier to start off simple. “The Citadel of Insomnia.” he told with a shrug. “It was nighttime and raining horribly, according to my father. He had been out of town with..,” he paused, not really wanting to mention the fact that he was with his royal retainers on some international affairs meeting. ”...my uncles.” 

Sarah nodded slightly, satisfied with the answer. “Is that why you were named Noctis? Because you were born at night?” 

“Hey. One question at a time, remember?” he shot back, crossing his arms with a raised eyebrow. He couldn't help but continue to smile. He was finding it hard to not when he was with her. 

“Right right.” she looked almost disappointed that her trick didn’t work. “Your turn then.” 

Noct had to think for a moment. It had to be something simple like what she had done. He had a million questions running through his mind that pleaded to be asked. Where is she from? What was it like? Who were the little kids she hung around with? Where did she learn to fight like that? Did she have a boyfriend? He shook his head at the last one. That was pushing it. He had to not let his brain get clouded up on something so trivial. He needed something smart and that would get some more information about her. 

“What’s your favorite color?” he blurted out. Immediately he slapped himself mentally. That was not one of his finer moments. 

Sarah stopped to look at him. Her face read confused with a small bit of amusement. Pausing for a moment, she was actually thinking about it. “Hm. I never really thought about it before.” Looking at the flowers of a branch near her, she pointed to them. “I guess this kind of silvery white color. But,” she turned quickly stopping closer to Noct than before. She locked eyes with him, making him freeze in his spot. “Blue is definitely growing on me lately.” 

Noct was doing everything in his power to not let himself grow flushed. He took a small step back, trying to clear his throat to keep his cool. The last thing he wanted to do was to make himself look more the fool than before. 

It already seemed too little too late as Sarah let out a small laugh. Pulling away from him, she started back down the path again. “My turn!” Turning around on her heels, she stopped. Hands behind her back again, she let her head tilt with that smile. There was no way he could hide the fact he was pink in his cheeks. Why was she making thinking harder? Noct had been flirted with by loads of his female classmates before. All of which he would simple write off nicely and move on. Hell, even some foreign princesses and members of high society that had visited the Citadel for events had tried to gain his affection or flirt. And nothing. But now he felt like he was losing all those years of built up walls because of this one girl. 

“Second question then,” she began. “How did you learn how to warp like you do in battles?”

Once again, she managed to ask something that was simple but extremely personal. Sarah must have done this before. Or maybe she was just that observant to know what to ask. “I was trained by Gladio. He’s one of my…” 

“Best friends right?” Sarah interrupted, making Noct’s eyes go wide with surprised. “I do remember some of the things the Hiso told me. Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio are your best friends right?”

Those Hiso really did spill a lot of the beans when they were chatting about him with Sarah. Though he was very impressed that she had remembered that. Gladio was one of his best friends. Who just happened to be his shield and bodyguard. “We’ve known each other for years. Our fathers are basically best friends. And he is a bit of a combat nut.”

“He sounds like a good friend,” Sarah told, making Noct tilt his head a bit. She turned her back to him, letting her hair fall gracefully down her back. “A friend who teaches you to fight like that must be really willing to have your back. No matter what.” 

Every time she spoke, Noctis kept being surprised. Elegant in her words and even how she started to walk again. Her hand reached out, letting her fingers brush the edges of the tree branches. Taking up a light jog, he hurried to catch up. “My turn. Let's try this again.” he said, coming up beside her, he shoved his hands into his pockets, matching her walking pace. “Where did you learn to fight? You had to have some kind of training with how you use a sword.” 

A light laugh escaped Sarah at his words. It echoed in the night air on the breeze. She brought up her hand to her mouth, trying to soften the sound. “Well, I learned out of necessity really. I really didn't have much family after they passed away when I was in my teens.” Stopping for a moment, she looked up to the trees. Noct stopped with her, though he decided to hang back, watching her carefully. Reaching up, she let her fingers trace over the petals of all the white flowers. How Noct didn't realize that they were almost identical to the one she wore in her hair proved he needed to pay attention more. “Where I am from, war is rampant. And in order to protect the orphan children...I taught myself. I do have friends who are probably insanely worried that I'm missing again. They did help with making me better. But would they be jealous of this place. Rarely do you find places like this. So full of life and beauty.” She turned back to Noct, letting her hair fall gracefully about her face. “You’re very lucky.” 

He wanted to answer. But what could he say? “Don't let the pretty trees and moonlight fool you,” he began down the path again, “My world is far from peaceful.” He didn't mean for his thoughts to grow dark so quickly. The thought of war and unrest was a thought that had plagued him since he could fully understand what his father and country had been through for so many years. The countless of sleepless nights of his father in his office, pacing back and forth while reading stacks of paperwork. Then himself having to start to read the same reports. Filled with notes on the casualties on the wall. Strategies, the names of those killed, the loss of territory. All the things that plagued his father until his final days. He tried to push the thought away. 

“Right,” Pursing her lips together in confusion, Sarah started after Noct again. “My turn. The Hiso said that you were a prince. And you didn't really answer when I asked you the last time. So...are you actually a prince?” 

And there it was. Start with an easy question, get him to let his guard down, and boom. The one question he dreaded answering. Because he knew the kind of response he would get. Noct felt his muscles tense up slightly, crossing his arms. He thought he had very artfully dodged the question the first time, yet there was no way around it. He couldn’t really lie. Might as well get it out of the way now. Pulling off the bandage as it were. 

“Well, yes. But also not really.” he staggered a bit on his thoughts, unsure of how to explain it. The more he had time to think about it, the more the lines were blurred as to what he was considered anymore. Looking down to his boots, he let his brow furrow slightly. “I was a prince. But my father just passed away very recently,” Murdered. He had been violently murdered in an invasion of his homeland while he had been sent away. But saying it aloud wasn't exactly easy. “So, according to the rest of the world, I'm technically king now. I don't know,” he let his voice trail off, hoping the excitement of his new found royal title would pass quickly. 

He could hear shuffled steps across the stone. Suddenly, a soft touch came to his arm. He could see her gloved hand on his. And before he knew it, she was moving his head up to look at her. There was no smile or excitement. Her touch was gentle but cautious as she let her hand brush the side of his face. Her eyes were soft and comforting.

The embrace was something he didn’t see coming. Within a flash, he arms were around his waist, forcing him to uncross his arms. He held them above his head in shock, unsure of what should be said or done in that very moment. That kind of affection was something that he did not receive a lot after he hit his teens. Perhaps they were trying to toughen him up or even to help build his regal flair as a prince. But when he started to grow apart from his father, affection just started to vanish. She pulled him close to her, as if every second was the most important one she could give.

“I'm so sorry for your loss Noct,” her tone had changed. She was calm, looking at him as if there were a hundred other things she wanted to say, but decided to keep it reserved. “Were you and your father close?” 

If there was ever a moment of when he could have felt some strange spark of appreciation and respect for someone, it was in that very second. She didn’t ask about him being king or give a speech on how he had to push forward. Not a single act of duty was mentioned, unlike in the first few minutes that he had found out what had happened back at the hotel that morning. He remembered Ignis’ look like it would forever be burned into his brain. The words that Insomnia fell and that his father had been found dead. After that moment, he completely blanked out. He didn’t even remember finding a seat to lower himself into. The others had been too busy arguing if it was true or not. If they should go back or stay where they are or if it was safe. When they finally asked him what to do, he was too numb to care. They never gave him a moment to let it sink in that someone who had seen them off not even a few days ago, was now gone. And that his world was turned upside down. 

But the thought of kingly duties didn’t even cross Sarah’s lips. Instead she kept him in an embrace, quietly waiting for him to answer. He pressed his lips into a thin line as he tried to find the words. He finally brought his arms down, wrapping them around her in return. “We were. But because of his work and well...a lot actually. We drifted apart. The last time I saw him, he was seeing me off on this trip. He made a point to come and say goodbye. He...” 

“Sounds like he cared a lot,” she said, pulling back slightly. Looking up at him, Sarah offered a gentle smile. She kept her arms around his waist, letting Noct's hold slide slightly to her waist as well. “I will offer prayers to our gods when I return home. They will help protect his soul to watch over you even in the afterlife.” 

Though the thought of Gods who actually were helpful and merciful sounded strange to him, he gave a small nod. She didn't have to do anything of the kind. They were still getting to know each other through a silly game. And yet she had shown more compassion and caring to him than anyone else had after the loss of the city and his father. She cared about him and not what he needed to do. He couldn't help but let a chuckle escape him. 

Sarah tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. “Did I miss something?” 

Pulling away from her, Noct had to take a deep breath to keep himself calm. Putting his hands behind his head, he turned away from the girl. “How? How is this possible?” he asked aloud, not expecting her to answer. Turning quickly on his heels, Noct locked eyes with Sarah instantly. “You are the first person to not bring up my title or the fact that I have a duty to fulfill.” he let the laugh escape him again, feeling as if some sort of dam had just been broken in his mind. There were feelings rising up in him that he had to suppress for weeks, all of the sake of duty and the end goal. “None of the guys asked me how I felt. Or said two words about him except that he had been murdered. And now I needed to assume the role of protector for my people. My friends didn't show any compassion and just followed their orders as Crownsguard. But you,” he stopped, realizing he had been talking with his hands. He had started to pace slightly back and forth. Sarah was still frozen in her spot, having brought a hand up in front of her, holding it close to her chest. She was watching him carefully.

Taking a few large strides back to her, Noct was now by her side again. He let himself smile and his eyes soften. For the first time in forever, everything else didn't matter. Just that moment. He brushed a few hairs from her face as she now started to turn pink in the cheeks. “Thank you,” he spoke softly, causing Sarah's eyes to widen slightly. “You barely know me and yet you,” he started, but was quickly silenced by a finger to his lips. 

Sarah was now returning the same smile. “Prince, King, whatever your title is. It doesn't matter.” she said softly. Noctis let his hand drop as she lowered her finger. She let her fingers dance gently around his, not really holding onto his hand but letting him know she was still close. “You're Noct. Titles are just titles. Words that other people give you so they can justify something. But you are just Noct to me.” Sarah tried desperately to keep the flustered look in her cheeks down, but it was to no avail. She was staring into Noct's eyes to the point where she was getting lost. Had his eyes always been so blue? It was a feature she had been struck by the first time they had met. The moment he had woken up and looked at her, she had not expect such blue eyes. “And you are someone who has lost someone close to him. And no one should feel like they can't talk about how they feel.” 

“No one ever really wanted to hear that from me,” Noct spoke, his voice was now much softer than before. He didn't know what was happening. His heart was racing to the point where he could hear it in his ears. His mouth felt dry and his face was warm. Sarah had the same flushed cheeks as well, looking as if she was struggling the same way. This was insane. How could he be feeling so deeply for someone like this? He hadn't felt this way since he had first met Luna. But this felt stronger and more raw. How had they become so close so quickly? His brain felt like it was drowning and it was getting harder to breathe. How was she so close to him now? Was she that close a moment ago? His mind was going fuzzy. 

“Noct,” Sarah whispered softly, her nose brushing against his. It sent a strange shutter down his spine as he felt his hand on her waist pulling her closer to him. His eyes slowly began to close. 

WARK! 

Noct jolted back to reality so fast, it almost made him dizzy. The loud sound of a chocobo screaming in terror made every wonderful and strange feeling that had been there just implode him back to his surroundings. He released Sarah, taking a step back as he released her from his hold. The girl reacted similarly, letting a hand go through her hair gently as she looked down to let her face slowly let the blush diminish. Tucking a loose strand behind her ear, she looked to him. There was a moment where disappointment seemed to linger with the same sense of surprise. 

“What in the name of Lazulis was that?” she exclaimed, her voice sounding slightly winded. 

Raising an eyebrow, Noct didn't feel the need to ask was she was talking about. His brain was still feeling foggy, but he knew that meant something to her that he wouldn't understand. Shaking out his head slightly, he urged his thoughts back into some kind of order. “Sabrina. Damnit. She must be in trouble. I shouldn't have left her alone.” Turning back to her, Noct extended out a hand. “Come on. We gotta check on her.” 

He didn't wait for her to grab onto him. Taking her hand, the two started off down the path again at a quickened pace. Sarah kept up with him no problem, making sure she didn't let go of him as they went. Coming to the rock wall with the small opening, Noct was about to ask if she was going to be okay slipping through a small space. And yet, he didn't have to say anything as she gave him a determined nod. That was all he needed. He went first, knowing what was on the other side and that he could warp into action if needed. Moving as quickly as he could, he could hear her behind him following closely. 

“So what is Sabrina anyway?” she asked as she slid along the narrow passage. “I don't think I have ever heard a sound like that before.” 

Minding his feet so as not to trip himself up, Noct let out a small grunt as he passed through a slightly narrower split in the stone. “She...is a chocobo.” he tried to speak normally, but found it hard. He wanted to forget that feeling from before so he could focus on making sure his mount was fine. Wiz would never forgive him if something happened to one of his prize birds. “We use them to get around off road and whatnot.” 

“Choco-what?” he heard the confusion in her voice, making him want to smile a bit. He never met someone who didn't know what one of these large birds were. He seemed to forget that Sarah was not from Eos. There was still so much more he wanted to ask her, seeing as how their game was suddenly put on hold. Right now, all he knew was what her favorite color is and how she learned to fight. Hopefully, he could continue to ask her things once they took care of whatever was spooking his bird.

Coming out from the stone wall, he waited until Sarah had emerged after him. “She’s just down the hill here. Follow me,” Taking hold of her hand again, they started off down the somewhat steep slope towards the loud, now constant, screeching. Even with the light of the full moon washing over the area, Noct flicked on his light pinned on his jacket. He wanted to make sure that there was some extra light, just in case there was something lurking around in the distant shadows. The pair made their way through the overgrowth, coming towards the clearing. Sarah let out some minor grunts as she struggled slightly through the branches and brush, but she kept up with his hurried pace. 

Pushing through a large overgrown bush, Noct and Sarah came face to face with the large, silver-feathered bird. Sabrina was moving around the clearing at a rapid pace, her wings extended out in an attempt to keep away whatever was scaring her. She kept leaping with gusto, talons extended as a source of protection. Shrill warks echoed out into the night air as the two came to a halt, watching the scene with caution. 

Sarah could not help letting her jaw drop slightly. “What...on…” her voice trailed off in shock at the sight. 

Bringing his arm up to stop her, Noct kept his eyes locked on the Chocobo. “Stay back. She can be pretty dangerous if she doesn’t know you.” Starting forward, Noct took in a deep breath. “I’ll try and calm her down.” 

He hurried forward, trying to think on how he could calm Sabrina without causing too much of a scene. She was fast, darting back and forth in front of him. He could try to whistle, but he was afraid that could shake her up more. The last thing he needed was her charging at him, still rattled and a ball of nerves. Looking at her carefully, he could see the reins hanging loosely. From what he could tell, they must have flipped over her her in the panic, giving him a small window of opportunity. Noct let his eyes narrow as his game plan was complete. 

“This is not my smartest idea,” he mumbled to himself as he moved. Jumping into the path of the large bird, Noct threw his arms out in front of him. The bird charged at him, squawking in fear still. Narrowing his eyes, he calmed himself quickly. “Whoa there!” he let out a loud call, causing the creature to come to a skidding halt. Sabrina jumped quickly, her sharp talons coming a little too close for comfort. The bird was maybe three inches from his hand, yet he managed to keep his composer. “Easy there Sabrina.” he spoke softly, keeping his hands up as a way to keep his distance, but shown he was no threat. “Come on. It's just me.” 

Noct let his hand reach out. The bird was quick but for once he was just as fast. The leather reins dropped into his hand and he quickly dug his feet into the ground. He knew that the bird was way stronger than he was, but he needed to at least try to stop her. The bird quickly jolted to a halt, spinning around to face him. “Easy Sabrina,” Noct started, his voice soft and gentle. He knew if he was aggressive in his tone, the chocobo would not react well. He has seen Gladio try that technique when they first got their birds, only to have him end up face down in the mud as it took off without him. Slowly, he brought his hand up to her neck plumage, letting his hand stroke the feathers calmly. “Shh. That's it. It's just me,” he whispered. “You’re okay.” 

Sarah kept her distance, watching the scene carefully. If someone would have told her this had happened, she wouldn't believed them. She knew that Noct had a very soft side to him underneath the hardened exterior he put forth. And watching him with this creature proved it. Within a mere few moments, he had managed to take a raging and terrified animal and sooth it into a calm once more. Watching him pet the bird, she could see him speaking softly to it. All while having the reins secured tightly in hand. There was a gentle smile on his face, contentment etched into his features. Even with the light on his jacket, the full moon just illuminated everything around him. It was the perfect scene.

“Now. What spooked you so badly, hm?” Noct asked, a joking tone lightly etched in. 

Sarah slowly started forward toward the pair. And yet, a low rustle in the brush behind her made her suddenly freeze in her spot. Her hearing suddenly sharpened, forcing her to look back slowly. A low menacing growl could heard deep within the growth, making her blood run cold. She didn't know anything of this world, making the unknown slightly more terrifying. Reaching down to her side, she let her fingers dance over the hilt of her blade. 

Looking back to Noct, she could see that he had tensed up, knowing something wasn’t right as well. Giving one more pat to Sabrina, he flipped the reins back to the saddle. Walking slowly towards the girl, he said nothing. His demeanor changed almost instantly, body becoming tense and jaw clenched. Eyes narrowed, he let his hand drop, motioning for her to move towards him slowly. Giving a small nod, then girl took a step forward, rotating around so as she could back up without removing her eyes from the sound behind her. Coming up beside him, she stopped, holding a strong stance and prepared for battle. 

“Well, we know what was spooking your bird,” she whispered, eyes locked still to the target. 

Giving a small nod, Noct outstretched his hand. “Let’s put a hold on the twenty questions. And how about we do what we know best.” With a small flick of the wrist, Noct summoned forth his engine blade in one fluid motion. He held tight to hilt, turning his back to Sarah as she withdrew her own blade as well. The two stood back to back, blades pointed out into the darkness, awaiting for their opponent to appear. 

“I thought you would never ask,” she returned, a smile forming on her face.

The growl grew louder as the creature emerged at last. Three of them to be precise. Noct recognized them almost instantly. It was a small pack of Saberclaws. They were fairly common in this area. While their claws looked lethal, it was the teeth they had to watch. He had remembered when Prompto had been clipped by one and it took a full hi-potion to clean and cure the wound. He was limping for at least three days after. Not something either one of them wanted to have happen. Teeth snarled as they three creatures made their ways into in the area slowly, their tails swinging menacingly. Small beady eyes glared at the three targets before them, sizing them up as they started to circle. 

“Well, I can see why Sabrina was spooked,” she told quietly, letting herself gain a stronger stance. Sarah pressed closer to Noct’s back as they circled closer. “Any advice on...whatever these things are?” 

“Yeah. Don’t let them bite you. Believe me when I say the claws have nothing on those razor sharp teeth.” He told, adjusting the hold on his blade. “They aren’t that hard to beat, so I wouldn’t worry too much. I think we can handle this after taking out a so-called god.”

There was no falter in their movement. Before they could utter another word, they two separated into the open field. Sarah and Noct shared some similar styles in their fighting. They both kept low with their weapons, trying to for the legs. Noctis tossed the engine blade out in front of him and warped across the area. His strike was clean right into the back of the creature. It let out a shriek of anguish as the blade dug deep. Kicking out it's back legs, it attempted to throw Noct and the sword. Of course it couldn't go down in one hit. That would be far too easy. Bending his legs, Noct launched himself into the air, flipping at he pulled the sword, attempting to slash at the creature mid air before he landed. He misjudged the leap, barely grazing the tough scales along its spine. 

Landing on the ground, he caught a glance of Sarah on the opposite side of the clearing. The swings of her sword were graceful and thought out. It looked as if she had the creature on its final legs, giving him a piece of mind. He knew he didn't have to worry. Sarah was good. And there was no reason to--

The pain ripped through his leg like it had been set on fire. Letting out a loud cry, Noct looked down. The Saberclaw, its claw clenched about his calf tightly, growled deeply at him. Blood started to roll down his leg as he felt himself trying to fend off the sudden shock. Feeling his adrenaline start to kick in, Noct took his blade up and let it down swiftly with a loud grunt. The sound was loud and incredibly sickening. Bone had been split and he knew that there was not much left with the force of his hit. However, the hold on his leg suddenly lessened and he was able to move away. The creature collapsed into a heap, all life leaving its body. 

“Noct!” he heard Sarah call, forcing him to look up. The Saberclaw she had been fighting had gone down quickly, its body slowly starting to melt away into the ground. Turning on her heels, she hurried across the clearing, keeping an eye on the last remaining creature. “Are you alright?” 

Gritting his teeth in pain, Noct had to focus. He had been stupid and sloppy. Something Gladio and Ignis would never allow. Reaching out to the armiger, he searched quickly and withdrew a potion bottle from the void. The glass bottle landed in his hand with some weight in a crystal filled flash. Looking it over quickly, he saw it was a basic potion, which would be more than enough for the wound. As Sarah ran up to his side, he cracked the bottle over his leg in one swift motion. The healing magic was quick, running through every muscle and nerve as it began to close the claw marks. He could never get over healing magic. Sure, he would ache for a bit, but at least he wasn't bleeding anymore. 

Sarah was wide eyed as he straightened up back to his feet. “Isn't that what you used on me when we first met?” she asked, keeping her fighting stance. 

“Yeah. Remind me to give you some of my stronger ones to take back.” he grunted out, letting himself straighten up again. Throwing the engine blade up onto his shoulder, he let himself push the pain from the back of his mind. He needed to focus more and not get tripped up by having Sarah there. She was very capable of taking care of herself, especially in a fight. “Let’s try getting back to how we were fighting back with the Hiso to take out the last one.” 

Giving a strong nod, Sarah let out a quiet ‘right’. Turning to face the remaining creature, the two took up their back to back position again. Both blades sat extended in their grasps as they stared down the beast. “On the count of three,” Sarah told, her hands poised delicately on the hilt of her sword. 

“One,” Noct told handing tightening around the leather of the engine blade grip. 

“Two,” Sarah crouched a little lower, preparing to lunge forward. 

“Thre--” 

A large black hand slammed down upon the Saberclaw, killing it instantly in a sickening thud. Noct and Sarah withdrew slightly as a loud moaning sound echoed out into the cool evening air. Around the fallen carcass of the beast, a think black liquid began to bubble from the earth. The large black limb lead the rest of the massive beast from his pool of unearthly substance. Noct felt the color drain from his face as a large flaming sword was pulled forth, slamming into the ground to support the armored daemon as it pulled itself to full height. It let out a low horrific growl. 

“Noct, what is...that?” Sarah tried to conceal her fear but to no avail. She grabbed his forearm tightly, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. “It just...crawled out from from some strange ooze and what's with the flaming sword?” 

The ground seemed to shake as the creature took a step to turn to face the pair. Armor clattered with its weight as a soulless void where his eyes should have stared down to them. Noct instinctively threw his arm out in front of Sarah to try and guard her. He knew what these things were capable of and it took a team of four to barely take it down. “Not everything about my world is perfect. That..thing. It's a daemon. We call them Red Giants.” 

“A...daemon?” Noct could tell her skin had paled and eyes widened at the word. He didn't even need to look back at her to know. He had to think fast. With the two of them, they could weaken it enough to let them get away. That was one, no. It was the only option. 

“Listen carefully,” he started, feeling Sarah's grasp loosen slightly. “Keep low and go for its knees. On my signal, we will go for the weak point in its neck. They’re big but slow. Watch out for the hands and dodge them no. Matter. What. And don't let the sword hit you. It can be a one hit end of the line.” He let a small breath hold in his lungs, making sure he covered everything. For a fleeting moment, he knew he just made Ignis proud with the tactical overview of their situation. “We go for weakening the thing. There is no way we can destroy it. Weaken. Then we make a break for it on Sabrina.” 

Releasing his arm, Sarah took up her stance again. “Got it.” her voice filled with determination. 

Reaching into the armiger, Noctis summoned forth a small flask to his hand. The bottle had a chill to it as he held it in his gloved hand. “I'm going to throw this to slow it down. After it hits, we go.” 

A short pause from the girl. “I'm gonna ask about what that is later.” her voice solid but mildly confused. 

Noct tensed as he drew in a deep breath. Drawing back his arm, he launched the flask at the Red Giant. His throw was right on target, shattering right into the creatures torso. Ice magic exploded forth, covering the creature in a thick layer of frost. A loud howl of pain escaped it as it staggered back. It was a now or never moment. With every muscle tensing, the pair lunged forward. Sarah followed instructions to the letter. Keeping low, she went for the exposed skin on the creatures legs. With quick slashes, she moved around its feet, striking hard but accurately. 

Noct tried once more with the warp. Throwing the engine blade in front of him, he reappeared with his sword in the neck of the creature. It roared as he tried to swat the prince away like a mosquito. And yet, withdrawing the blade, Noct pushed off the creature's chest plate, flipping out of the way but allowing for yet another strike to the bicep. He landed on both feet, trying desperately to forget the lingering pain of the claws from before. He could see Sarah running towards him as she finished another set of strikes to the legs. 

“Sarah!” he shouted, reaching out his hand to her. The girl didnt hesitate, knowing what he was going to do. Grabbing hold of his hand, Noct threw out his blade again, causing the two of them to warp together. Reappearing up on the red giant's shoulder, Noct used the momentum of the warp to swing Sarah around to the opposite shoulder. As she swung through the air, her sword stabbed down, letting it dig into the nape of its neck. Once her feet hit the shoulder, Sarah gave Noct a quick nod. At the same time, the pair thrust their blades down into either side of the creatures neck. 

A horrific roar echoed out into the night. The daemon shook its shoulders, trying desperately to rid himself of the pair. Sarah was unprepared, feeling herself slip from the large shoulder armor. It was as if the world slowed. Feeling her foot lose its place on the creature, her body began to fall backward. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see a fiery blade blazing up from beneath her. The heat licked at her skin as she let a gasp escape her. She messed up. This was it. 

“Sarah!”

The girl felt an arm wrap around her waist. A warm embrace held tight to her. Before she could let out another cry, stone came up under her feet. She was upright and back on the ground. Her eyes peaked opened to see a deep black shirt with a small skull design pressed against her fact. Noct was holding her close. Looking up to him, she could see his hair clinging to his forehead from sweat. His breath was labored as he kept his hold to her, eyes never leaving the target before him. 

“You okay?” he asked, eyes focused before him. Sarah was almost left speechless. Even though he knew she could take care of herself, he was so adamant about making sure she was safe. She gave a swift nod to his words. If there lives weren't in danger, she almost hoped they could stay like this for a little while longer. 

“Move!” a harsh shove came from Noct, throwing her back away from his hold. Sarah tucked and rolled, though unceremoniously landing on her side. Noct had managed to stay on his feet as he staggered back. Looking back to him, her eyes widened. The pair separated just as a large flaming sword came crashing down to where they had been moments before. Noct gave her a look asking if she was hurt. She gave a small motion that she was okay. 

The beast before them now had a choice. It paused, withdrawing its blade from the now singed and broken earth. It let out another loud moan as its weight shifted, turning its massive body towards the downed girl. 

Sarah had to think. She moved to tighten her grasp on her hilt, only to realize that it had vanished from her hold. Shooting her gaze around her, she saw the silver blade fifty yards ahead of her. It must have dropped from her hold when Noct had warped them to safety. Forcing herself up, Sarah had to move. There was no way she could continue unarmed. She had to be faster than that beast. With a burst of energy she had to muster from deep down, she was on her feet and off. She could hear the clamor of the armored feet and creaking of its arm as it rose its blade to bring it down upon her. But it didn't matter. She needed to get to her blade. She refused to not go down fighting. Jumping out, she reached for the blade. 

A loud crash echoed as she grabbed her sword, flipping over it to turn back to block. She closed her eyes, bracing for the impact. 

The hit never came.

The crash of metal on metal clattered out into the air. She could hear the scrapping of a blade being blocked, forcing her to finally open her eyes. There before her, was something that was not of her world. Thirteen crystal like weapons hovered above, protecting her from the hit. From swords, to a crossbow, to some she had never seen before in her life. They all blocked the blow, their light like nothing she could even believe. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. 

“Enough!” she looked past the creature's struggling hold. Noct was moving towards her, his arm extended. His eyes were focused and narrowed, looking as if he were out for blood. He glared up to the creature, moving his hand back towards him. Each weapon obeyed. Pushing back on the flame blade, he forced the creature back across the clearing with the mere movement of his hand. Coming up beside the girl, Noct he let one final push escape him. The red giant couldn't keep its balance any longer, falling back to the earth with a crash. 

“Whoa,” was the only words she could let escape her. Sarah rose to her feet beside Noct, sliding her sword back to her side. “Noct! That…was..” 

Noct let his hand drop, pushing the weapons back to the armiger from where he summoned them. For a moment, a sigh of relief felt needed. He hand no clue where that sudden burst of energy came from. He saw the creature turn on Sarah and something snapped in his mind. He had to protect her and that was the only thing that mattered. Before he realized what had happened, the royal arms were released, protecting her from the creature. He could almost remember when something like that happened with his father and him when he was a child. But when was a little hazy. His knees felt weak under him and his head ached. But there was no time to be concerned about a little statis. They needed to move. 

“That was so reckless,” he told to her, letting himself catch his breath. “Why did you do that?”

“Let's talk about my poor life choices after we get to safety.” Sarah was flat in her tone as she looked past Noct. 

Sure enough, the creature was climbing to its feet again. While it had no visible face, Noct could tell it was not happy. While his attack had wore it down, red giants were resilient. The creature let out a roar that was filled with rage. The sword swung wildly as it started back down on the pair. 

“That's our cue to get out of here,” Noct shouted. Sarah took off towards the chocobo, the prince close behind. He tried to keep his exhaustion hidden but he knew that he had either hit statis or was about to. Seeing the girl reach Sabrina first made Noct feel like this was going to be okay. They could make it out of here mostly unscathed. 

A sudden crushing feeling engulfed his senses as the world stopped. His feet were suddenly halted and his arms were constructed tightly. He let out a shout as pressure pushed his elbows into his sides harshly. He looked down to see a large gruesome hand wrapped around his torso, constricting even the slightest movement. Sabrina let out a wark in fear as he heard Sarah call his name. Intense heat licked over his skin as he felt his feet leave the ground. He tried to kick away the fingers as it turned him to face him. He tried desperately to summon a dagger or even one of his simple swords, but nothing appeared. The creature slowly began to squeeze. Noct bit his lip to try and not let himself cry out in pain. Breathing was hard. Focusing was harder. This was not the way he saw this night going. And now he was going to be crushed by a stupid red giant. He tried desperately to not let himself pass out from the pain. But the world was getting darker and darker. 

A loud scream of his name with the sound of metal striking flesh jolted him back. Lifting his head up, everything was blurry. A large figure with an even larger sword was now beside him. They shook his shoulder roughly, telling him that he needed to wake up and focus. Before he could do so completely, the hand released him. Noct dropped like a rock, expecting himself to hit the rough ground beneath. And yet, a strong grip came to his waist, keeping him upright. 

“Iggy! Get him an ether!” the voice shouted. “Prompto. You're with me. This thing is almost dead.”

Before he could process, a healing warmth washed over him as the crack of a bottle was heard. His magic instantly reset to it's full potential and every wound healed up. As the world focused, the face of his adviser came back into view. His expression was blank as he looked him over carefully, on hand around Noct’s shoulder and the other on his stomach to help support him. 

“Get to Sabrina. We will finish it off.” Ignis gave him a shove to move him to the bird. Noct watched as his friend summoned forth his blades and was off to assist the others. Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis had managed to swoop in at the last minute as always to save his sorry self. He knew if he tried to help, he would get shoved back to the sidelines instantly. So for once, he listened to Ignis. 

Hurrying around the fight, he came up to Sabrina. Coming up to the other side of the bird, Sarah greeted him. Before he could say two words, arms were wrapped around his neck, hugging him tightly. 

“Thank the gods,” she breathed out into his ear. “I was about to jump up when I heard another really loud shout and suddenly three other people appeared. Sabrina got in front of me to protect me from the fight and would not let me get around her. She is one loyal chicken.”

“Hey,” he muttered, returning her embrace. “I'm okay.” He pulled her back so he could get a better look at her. She was flustered from worry, but the look of relief on her face still lingered. “And you ramble a lot when you are nervous.” he added, trying to lighten the mood. And it worked. Sarah let a smile escape her with a small laugh. 

“But. What about those three guys? The ones who just saved you.” She asked, stealing a small glance over the bird. The sounds of the fight still echoed, making the concern creep back into her eyes. 

Noct pulled back slightly, still keeping his hold to her waist. “Well, that's-” 

“Noctis Lucis Caelum!” 

If there was ever a moment where ice could flow through his veins and the color drain from his face, it was the sound of all three of his names being screamed at him. Only two people ever used that when he had done something wrong. His muscles tensed as he continued to hold onto the girl in front of him, eyes were wide as he could only swallow harshly. Noct was almost impressed that it took them such a short amount of time to find him. Granted, his friends had just saved the two of them like it was nothing. But that was only going to make them angrier that he knew what was waiting for him when he turned around about ten times worse. 

“Your middle name is Lucis?” Sarah's voice broke the train of thought. Pulling her back slightly, she was looking up at him, a small smile on her face as she tried to soften her laugh. 

Returning the smile, he could only nod. “Yeah well.” 

“I just find it funny since that was going to be my next question.” She chuckled. “I'm going to assume that you did not tell your friends that you ran off.” 

“Noct! Get your ass out here right now!” Gladio's voice echoed out into the quiet night air. The sound of the red giant melting into ground in the distance slowly began to fade, meaning that they had not only saved him and Sarah, but now they wanted answers. 

Pulling back from the girl, Noct placed his hands to her shoulders. He had to think quickly on how to not have the guys be furious at him or her. “Stay with Sabrina. I'm going to try and talk them down from killing me.” 

And yet Sarah couldn't help but giggle quietly. “Murder their king? Isn't that treason?” 

“Right now, I don't think they really care.” he muttered. “I'll come and get you when I calm them down.” Getting a nod from her, Noct let his hand meet hers, giving it a tight squeeze. She moved back to Sabrina, continuing to pet her to try and calm the mount down from the fight. Taking in one more deep breath, Noct squared his shoulders and moved out from behind the chocobo. 

There, on the other side of the clearing, were Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto. Their weapons were still drawn, keeping up their guard with the darkened woods on all sides of them. From the looks of it, they had gotten dressed in a hurry, not even bothering with their hair for once. The moment he came into their view, Noct saw all three of them staring, making any calm he had just managed to get with his deep breath vanished in an instant. Trying to steal himself, he started across to them slowly. His leg that had been struck was hurting like crazy, along with his shoulder from when he and Sarah had hit the ground. Even with a potion and an ether, he was gonna feel it for a bit. But he needed to act as if it was nothing. 

“Noct!” Prompto was the first to speak up, running out to meet him halfway. Ignis and Gladio followed quickly, though not showing any short of emotion on their faces. The blond came up beside him, sending his gun back into the armory. “What the hell man? You had us worried to death!”

“Look. I can explain,” Noct started, his voice coming out far softer than he meant for it to be. 

Gladio was next at his side. Raising his hand up, a swift smack came to the back of the prince’s head. Noct could have sworn that he saw stars at the intensity that the hit, making him stagger a bit. “You have got a lot of nerve running off like that! No note, no clue to where you went. Only for us to find you two hours later about to get skewered by a red giant. What the hell were you thinking? What? The aliens take all your common sense too?!” 

Rubbing the back of his head with a hiss, Noct wanted nothing more to smack the shield back. Though he knew it probably wouldn't do much of anything. He knew everything he was saying to him was accurate, minus the alien thing. “I know. I'm sorry. I swear I have a good reason.” he muttered again, looking down at his muddy boots. “Just let me-” 

“Iggy had some quick thinking to use the Chocobo tracking app we have to see where Sabrina went.” Prompto interrupted, taking out his phone. Holding it up to his friend, he pointed. Sure enough, a map of the area had been pulled up, a small white chocobo blinking on their current location. Noct had forgotten that they even had an app for that. Wiz was really trying to keep up to date on the tech available. Deep down he was pretty thrilled that they had used it, otherwise Sarah and him might have been goners. 

Gladio turned up his lip. “So what was it? What made you run off at some ungodly hour?” throwing hands out to the sides, he looked around. “Hunting Bigfoot? Looking for yetis? Maybe even looking for the long lost King Mog?!” Grabbing a hold of Noctis by his shirt, he pulled him in close, so that they were almost nose to nose. He wanted to flinch as his shoulder roared angrily with pain. But also a bit at Gladio's morning breath. “What the hell possessed you to run off without telling your damn guard?” 

Flailing his arms slightly, Noctis managed to move his way out of his shield's hold. Adjusting his shirt and coat again, he couldn't help glaring at Gladio. “If you let me get in a word, I might be able to tell you what happened.” Glancing over his shoulder back to Sabrina, he could see Sarah peaking out with caution. How was he going to even start this? “See...the thing is,” he paused, biting his lip. Trying to find words was harder than he thought. 

“Noctis,” Ignis interrupted him, making him flinch. He hated when his adviser used his normal name over his nickname. In one word, Ignis’ tone dripped with disappointment and anger. There were very few people that could completely silence the prince into feeling like he was three inches tall. But Ignis had it down to an art. “Look at me.” Bringing his gaze back to meet Ignis, Noct felt like he was seven again and had been caught playing in his father's office right before a massive meeting. Ignis stepped forward, dismissing his daggers and merely crossing his arms. “Explanation. Now.”

“Um..excuse me?”

All three heads of his friends were quick to pull their glances away. There, standing not even ten feet away, a girl emerged from behind the silver chocobo. It was easy to see how they could have missed her. She was dressed in all white with just a few accents of black throughout. Silver grey hair hung around her shoulders to her mid back, a small flower tucked behind one of her ears. Eyes were a piercing grey blue as she looked at them with a slight bit of inquiry. She had a few light scraps from their encounter with the daemons, but it barely seemed to phase her as she held tight to Sabrina’s bridle with one hand. And to a very familiar white sword in the other. She slowly started towards them, leading the bird as she went. 

“If you plan on murdering your best friend, could you first let him explain what is happening?” she told flatley, keeping her light voice calm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for checking out my story. I have been writing whole thing on my phone while commuting to work. So forgive me if there are any errors. I have been trying to spellcheck as best as I can. 
> 
> Until next time!


	5. Part V

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm so sorry this took so long to get out. The holidays have been insanely busy and just didnt have the time to write. But I hope you enjoy!

Silence hung heavily in the night air. For a moment, the three Crownsguard were stunned. There, posed and elegant with the reins to the chocobo secured in her hand, stood a girl. She was calm as she just smiled at the group softly, her eyes a little skeptical as she asked if they intended on killing their best friend before he could explain himself. Moonlight filled the area as there was a good seven feet between them, as if one was waiting for the other to make a move. A light breeze shifted her skirt about as her long hair blew gently. In her hand was the silver weapon that the guys had been intrigued with only a few hours ago. 

Noct turned back on his heels, crossing his arms with a smirk. “I thought I said I could handle these guys.” he told. 

And yet the girl rolled her eyes right back at him. She was quick let her weapon vanish only to let her hand rest on her hip. “They weren't letting you get a word in. So I thought I would throw myself into the narrative so to speak.” While being tough on him a smile appeared, turning the mood lighter. 

Prompto let his jaw fall slack. If his brain was able to process the hundreds of questions he had in this moment, he wasn't finding the words. Looking back to Noct, he shot him a look of confusion and question. His friend barely spoke to any girl in school or while they were out on town for a night. Advances like that were completely pointless. Noct had even told his friend that he knew they were only after his title and wealth. Not him. Now, of all places in the middle of nowhere, here he was with some random girl. And yet Prompto could faintly see it in the lamplight of their hiking lights. Noct's face was ever so slightly tinged with a light hint of red. He barely ever blushed. Actually, besides the teasing the others always did to him where he would get mad, Prompto thought it was next to impossible for his pale friend to even blush. It was obvious. Something was off. 

Gladio curled his lip at the exchange of words between the mystery girl and the prince. The moment he saw a sword in her hand, even after she dismissed it, she was a threat. Letting his blade summon back to his hand, he was quick to come between the rest of the group and the girl. With one massive hand, he pushed Noct behind him with a small sound of objection falling on deaf ears. He threw the blade over his shoulder, standing intimidatingly tall. He almost expected the girl to recoil at his glare. Like she would step back or even release Sabrina and make a break for it. But she didn't falter. She looked up to him curiously. “And you are?” he asked, his tone flat.

“Honestly!” Ignis’ voice aghast at the shield’s cold a blunt words. Bringing a hand up to block his gaze from view, Noct could tell he was mortified. “I don't feel that this is really needed.”

Tilting her head slightly, Sarah leaned around the large man. Her eyebrow was raised but her smile never faulted. She looked back to Noct, who had a look of embarrassment growing every second. “Let me guess. Gladio?” she questioned, pointing to the wall of a human before her. 

Letting out a long sigh, Noct moved out from behind his shield. Patting Gladio on the arm as he passed, he just shook his head. “Really know how to make a first impression, huh?” he grumbled. The older man glared at his charge’s attitude as Noct came between him and Sarah. “She’s not going to hurt me or anyone else Gladio. Please stand down.” he was firm, but trying to still be friendly. The last thing he wanted to do was antagonize them more. 

“You are in no position to tell me to stand down after the stunt you pulled kid.” Gladio glared, adjusting the grip on his sword even more so. “You disappeared and we find you miles away. At night, with a girl who is obviously armed. And you don't expect us to--” 

Noct glared quickly, his eyes flashing dangerously with hints of even more powerful magic. Every muscle tensed as he could feel his engine blade begging to be released from the armiger in anger. Why he was feeling this intense anger? He couldn’t place it. All he knew was that he needed to protect her. “What exactly are you saying?” 

“Noct,” Sarah's quiet voice chimed in, snapping him out of his blinding rage quickly. Looking over his shoulder he could see her looking at him calmly. “Its okay. They have every right to not trust someone they don't know.” 

Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself. “Yeah. Yeah you’re right,” he muttered, quieting the magic down. Turning his back to his three guard, be looked at Sarah once more. “You really are good at that.” 

“Like I've said. I deal with a lot of little kids. Same basic principle.” 

Noct rolled his eyes. “I don't know if I should be insulted by that or not.”

But Gladio huffed. “With the way you are acting, I wouldn't be shocked if she put some weird spell on ya. Acting like a complete idiot.” 

Something in his words made him snap. He didn't know what or how, but anger burned in his blood. He was turned back around in an instant, coming up dangerously close to the taller man. “Say that again. I dare you…” Noct growled out. Gladio was almost taken aback. Almost. He had never seen the prince become so heated so quickly when it came to a girl. Sure, with Luna it was a moment of low grumbling and a flush of red to the face. But this was something very new. And very out of character for him. Showing his emotions was a concept that had become a very uncommon practice. 

“Uh..guys?” Prompto interrupted, forcing the rest of the retainers and their prince to look to him. Prompto was pointing back to where the girl stood, the tension dying in an instant. Sabrina was now nuzzling the girl gently, accepting her head scratches with a happy wark and chirp. Sarah smiled sweetly, talking quietly to the creature. Her hand ran up the side of Sabrina's neck as it continued to coo in contentment. “If Sabrina isn't concerned about...who ever this is. Then I think we’ll be fine not worrying too.” 

Ignis gave a small nod, adjusting this glasses. “Indeed. Perhaps it is time we put away the weapons and try to speak rationally.” He shot a glare that was as icy as Shiva herself at the shield. Begrudgingly Gladio silently agreed, letting the sword vanish into small crystal shards. “And perhaps search for some form of decorum when dealing with…” he paused, looking to the girl with a far softer gaze. “A thousand pardons. But might we have your name?” 

Looking up at last from the bird, the girl finally relaxed. “Sorry. I'm Sarah. It's a pleasure to meet you.” she said, extending out a hand to shake. “I've heard a lot about you.”

Taking hold of her hand very gently, Ignis bowed his head. “A pleasure Sar--” 

All three of Noct's friends went silent with shock. This was the one moment that Noct was dreading. He took a step back so that he was now shoulder to shoulder with the girl. Ignis’ gaze followed him with such intensity as he released Sarah's hand in surprise. Prompto was back to a jaw on the ground with eyes wide. Hell, even Gladios face contorted into a strange expression of disbelief and shock. He knew that the time for answers was upon them. 

“Now are you willing to listen?” Noct asked, letting himself stay somewhat in front of the girl. The deafening silence from his guard spoke volumes. Swallowing harshly he took a deep breath. “When I came to while you were all sleeping, something happened with Sarah's sword. There was this weird light and so I followed it.” He paused. Expecting at least a retort of how dumb he was from Gladio. Or how reckless he was from Ignis. Nothing. It was making him even more nervous.

“I...don't know how to describe what happened. But there was this flash of light and then Sarah was here.” A tight hold came to his hand suddenly, forcing his gaze over to the girl beside him. Sarah smiled as her other hand came to hold onto his forearm as well. She locked eyes with him, as if the others weren't watching every one of her moments like hawks. Noct felt his tensed muscles relax and he smiled. “I'm sorry you guys had to go through all this trouble to find me. I knew you wouldn't believe me if I woke you up and told you. And you all looked exhausted when I had woken up the first time so--” 

“Wait a second!” Prompto's voice interjected, silencing his best friend quickly. Taking a few steps forward, the blond leaned in, eyeing the silver haired girl in question carefully. Sarah couldn't help but recoil slightly at the sudden closeness of the blonde. She leaned into Noct slightly, shooting him a look of confusion. “So...let me get this straight.” he began, his lip curling in thought.” You...weren't hallucinating from a fever and this girl right here is THE Sarah that you fought with to save little aliens?” 

Sarah let out a gentle giggle, relaxing at his query. “You must be Prompto.” she said, gaining a nod from both Noct and the blonde respectively. “The ‘little aliens’ are called the Hiso. And yes. Noct and I did fight to save them.”

Prompto's face flushed a shade of red that Noct had only seen when he was around Cindy. He recoiled back to the others. It was from embarrassment for sure, but he could tell that his friend was more surprised that she knew him. “Uh...so wait. You aren't from here? You're from another world?” Prompto asked, now from a more reasonable distance.

“That's right,” she told, barely faulting as she was interrogated. “A similar thing like what happened to Noct happened back in my world. This defence pendant that Noct gave me,” she paused, pulling the necklace from her dress so the others could see it. “It started glowing. When I followed the light, it took me to this strange temple. And when it asked if I wanted to see Noct again,” A pause again. She looked back to the prince, trying to keep the pink in her cheeks from growing. “I said of course. And before I knew what happened, I woke up to Noct holding me.” 

Gladio let a small grunt escape him. “That necklace is definitely from the armiger. I remember we found it in those god forsaken ice caverns.” he told, voice low. The shield was still not believing everything he was hearing. Noct could spot his skepticism from a mile away. He became normalized to it when he tried to lie to get out of training. “And your sword? That was,” 

“A gift,” Sarah told flatly. “He gave me the defense pendant to help in my journey. And I, a replica of my sword to aid him.” She couldn't help but smile with a raised eyebrow to the shield. “If you are Gladio, then of course you should have seen that the blade forging is balanced but very streamlined. It would let Noct,” 

“Move faster in a fight but still deal the same kind of damage,” Gladio finished. Uncertainty seemed to start to fade from his features. “Impressive you would notice that.” 

Noct gave a small nod as they finished speaking. “I know you want to know what’s happening,” he finally said, keeping his voice low. Despite everything, Noct was feeling exhausted. He wasn’t expecting them to find out about her. But now, he was trying to handle this. After the royal arms and the battle with the Iron Giant, all while trying to protect Sarah and himself, of course he was exhausted. And while the ether was helping, he just felt so drained. “We don't even know how this is happening. All we know is that Sarah does not have a lot of time in our world.” 

Sarah nodded. “Basically. Only until the sun rises. And I go back to my world.”

Ignis was quiet. He was trying to find a way to process this whole situation in the most rational manner he could think of. Noct had not lied nor had he made up this girl. She was there, speaking with Prompto and Gladio as if this was a common thing. She was well spoken, elegant, and calm. There was no fear nor malice. And no intention to bring harm to any of them. Noct had always been a good judge of character when needed. However, Ignis could not ignore one very glaring thing. Noct kept his hand linked with the girl as she spoke. His charge was quiet as she explained things, but every so often he would steal a glance to the girl. And then he caught sight of it. A smile. 

“Sarah, forgive me.” the adviser interjected, silencing the conversation abruptly. Ignis always was one to command respect when he spoke up. He stepped forward, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose before letting his hand fall back to his side. The girl looked to him, eyes suddenly locking with the blond. “But might we have a moment to speak with Noct?” he shot a gaze at Gladio, “Calmly?”

“Oh! Of course!” she quickly realized how much she was rambling on. “I'm so sorry Ignis. Of course. I will just be here with Sabrina.” she stole another quick pet to the birds head. “She is just too sweet. Aren't you girl?” the bird chirped happily.

Ignis gave her a small nod of the head. “Apologies. We won't keep him long.” Turning his gaze back to the prince, his eyes narrowed just enough that Noct seemed to tense up once more. “If you would Noct?” he motioned for him to pass him. 

Noct gave Sarah's hand a light squeeze before he released it. Eyes forward, he moved back to where the others were standing with quickened pace. He passed Ignis without another glance. The four moved clear across the large opening in the forest, making sure that the girl was now out of earshot. Stopping at the edge of the brush, Noct turned on his heels, crossing his arms abruptly with a look of annoyance. 

“I think you owe me an apology.” his voice was flat. Glaring around at all three of his friends, Noct tried to not feel the urge to scream at them. He wasn't embarrassed by them appearing to save him and Sarah. In fact he was incredibly grateful. It was very few times that he got to tell all three of them that they were wrong. He wanted to rub their noses in just how wrong they were. Instead, he waited. 

There was silence for a moment as the three exchanged a look between them. Gladio looked ready to jump down his throat for even making such an accusation. But he was doing his hardest to bite his tongue. Prompto was now finding the ground incredibly interesting, his boot digging around in the grass and dirt haphazardly. He refused to make eye contact with Noct, meaning that he did not know how to respond to his friend for once. Normally there would be some quick comment or witty tongue and cheek exchange. But nothing came. 

Ignis cleared his throat slightly, forcing Noct to look to him with a narrowed glare. He returned the arms crossed stance to his king, keeping his face unreadable. “Noct. We apologize for earlier. We shouldn't have been so quick to judge.” his words gained a quick agreeable head nod from Prompto. Gladio could only roll his eyes with a huff. The man never liked to admit when he was wrong. “That being said, you owe us an apology for running off like you did. What in the gods name made you think running off in the middle of the night was a wise choice? Especially without telling us? We would have gladly…”

Noct turned away from the three of them so he was looking out into the woods. Even when it was meant to be an apology, Ignis still managed to make him feel like he was always in the wrong. “I’ve apologized enough. And I meant it. I didn't mean to worry you. But you guys…” he kept his tone flat as his voice trailed off. 

Prompto and Ignis exchanged a look as Gladio let his shoulders finally relax. There was an air about him that was strange. He was tensed and being cryptic over things. Something was not right. “But we what Noct?” Prompto finally urged on, hoping for an answer. 

Noct turned quickly on his heels, looking all three of them down. “You would have never let me leave to follow a mysterious light. You would have called me crazy and put me back to bed.” 

“Damn straight we would have.” Gladio growled but was silenced by a light slap from Prompto. The older of the two didn't even flinch at the strike but got the message. “Sorry. But this whole thing is kinda hard to swallow. She isn't from here, but there she is! How is any of this normal?” 

Ignis gave a small nod. “I understand that magic is still a very strange concept for any of us to understand in its entirety. But I have never even heard of the capability to pass between these planes of existence like this.” he looked back to Noct, who now had turned to the side, his arms crossed with a blank look in his face. As he would normally after training, the man gave the prince a once over. He was rubbing his arm gently, showing that his shoulder was still bothering him from the fight. And yet there were faint claw marks on his lower leg, meaning there had been another altercation before their arrival. He looked tired still, as if the ether he had giving him was just not enough. But he refused to say anything. Once again, a common tactic of him so as not to have the others worry. And even though he could see him keeping his face emotionless, every few moments, Noct would steal a glance past them. Ignis didn't need to look over his shoulder to know that he was looking back to the girl. 

“Dude, why try and keep this from us?” Prompto told, crossing his arms with a bit of an curled up lip. “Sarah seems super nice!” 

A heavy sigh escaped Noct. “It wasn't like I came out here expecting to find her.” he spoke flatly. “I am still trying to process this whole thing myself. I never thought I would see her again after those aliens sent us home. And I'm curious as to why it took my armiger with the royal arms to bring her here.”

“What?!” all three of his guards exclaimed loudly. Sarah even looked up to the loud noise from the chocobo. She raised an eyebrow to the small group, but Prompto just turned with a smile. He gave a small wave of “Everything is fine” and quickly turned back to the others. Sarah gave a small shrug and went back to Sabrina.

Gladio placed a hand to Noct's shoulder, making him almost noticeably flinch from the pressure. The shield leaned in, turning Noct to face him. “What do you mean you used the royal arms?” 

“The voice in the light,” Noct started, keeping his tone soft. How many more questions would he have to answer? He just wanted to go back to Sarah and continue their question game without this interrogation to take up the little time he had left. But if he answered these questions, then maybe they would just let him go. “It said that kings of old with the power of the gods of Terra would reunite us. I had come all this way, why would I not?” 

Prompto's eyes widened. “Because it could be a trap? It could have been a ploy from the empire? It could have been a daemon screwing with you.” his friend listed options. And a lot of them. Looking down at his fingers, the blonde was mentally thinking of at least eight other options. He looked frantic as he thought it through, only to shake his head and press on. “Dude, you know that they want your power. I could keep going with all the problems here, but we'll be here until the sun comes up!” Noct couldn’t help but be impressed by the thought process of his best friend. While he wasn’t born into the service of the royal family, Cor and Gladio’s training did seem to stick.

“And with how badly those weapons drain you,” Ignis added, bringing his hand to his chin in thought. “It is almost impressive that you are still on your feet.”

“This power was nothing the empire could have made and I knew it wasn’t a trap..” Noct shot back. He bit his lip slightly, looking down to his hand. He remember what he felt as he summoned forth the royal arms. He was tired, sure. But the energy that the light had given off was something warm and forgiving. Like he knew the power. “It...it reminded me of the crystal.”

Noct looked up to night sky with a heavy sigh. He could hear the others talking about the various possibilities as to why he was able to use the royal arms to bring her through to this world. But all he could do was block them out. This conversation was taking away minutes he could be spending with Sarah. But he knew he had to give some kind of answer to them. There was a deeper answer to this whole situation. He had been playing with the thought in the back of his mind for the last few hours, but the more he thought about it, the more it was making sense. The way they fought so in sync or how she was able to warp alongside him without any massive repercussions to his magic. It seemed almost logical. Almost. 

‘Why was Sarah able to come here? How is it we were able to meet again?’ he continued to study the sky above with great detail. The thicket of trees obstructed his view if not slightly. The stars were there but faint due to the full moon. Soothing light washed over him, almost as if re-energizing him from all the interrogation. Noct, like his father, was a night person. He preferred to work late into the evenings and even enjoyed evening hunts over the day time. Daemons be damned, the night was where he thrived. Cool air filled his lungs as he let his eyes close slightly. At that moment, it felt as if nothing the three of his friends said. And that Sarah had reappeared and with it having to do with the full moon, he wondered if his thoughts were starting to align. It might be possible. But he needed to ask more questions.

“Are you listening Noct?” Ignis’ voice cut through the line of thoughts. He turned to see the others waiting for an answer.

Noct shook his head. “I know this magic. And I know there is a deeper answer. But,” he stopped. Looking past them once more, Sarah was watching them with great curiosity. Sabrina was now sitting on the ground, lightly pruning her feathers with soft chirps. The girl stood beside her with her hands tucked behind her back. She was now just waiting on them to finish grilling him. And he was ready to end this and get back to her. “Just...let me go back and spend what little time I have left with Sarah please. You can question me all you want when she’s gone. But we're wasting time I could be spending with her.” 

It was in this moment Ignis let a switch flip in his mind. He wasn't blind to the look on Noct's face, as he had seen it once before in his life. But for it to be now and with this girl he barely knew? It was insanely surprising. Over the years he had never really shown any form of emotion to all the possible girls that had come into his life except Luna. And even still he would have not been so forward to spending time with her. Knowing that time was limited, he almost seemed desperate to go back. And when his gaze kept shooting back to her as she waited patiently for him, it struck like lightning. 

Gladio shook his head, holding a hand up to the prince. “Like hell we are letting you--” 

“Of course Noct. We have kept the young lady waiting far longer than we anticipated.” Ignis interjected. Noct's eyes widened in surprise as both Gladio and Prompto leaned in to catch a better look at the adviser. The two other guardsmen wanted to offer some form of objection for his words. He could see Prompto trying to find the words while Gladio was ready to shout back at him that he was a fool. And yet, he kept his cool demeanor, raising a hand to silence the rest of them. “We will, however, stay nearby. Consider that your punishment for disappearing on us.” 

There was a moment where Noct was unsure if Ignis was just being funny or if he was screwing with him. Or perhaps he was playing with him so that the moment he tried to walk away, he would grab and haul him back to the Regalia. Letting himself relax a bit, he gave a sharp stare. “....really?” 

Ignis, taking in a deep breath, let a small smile escape him. “Hurry up before I change my mind.” The other two looked dumbfounded as Noct just gave a nod in return and started to hurry back across the clearing. “Oh. And Noct!” his voice piped in before he could get very far. Turning on his heels, he looked back to Ignis, who was now moving to come up to his side. In one fluid movement, he placed a hand to his ward’s uninjured shoulder, letting his head come in close to his ear. He spoke quietly so only Noct could hear. “And be on your best behavior Noct. She seems like a very sweet girl.” 

Redness washed over his face as the words were uttered. Pulling back from Ignis, Noct gave him a long stare for a second. Was it seriously possible that he could know? Was he that obvious? All he could do was nod to him before turned again and hurrying back to the awaiting girl. 

Just as he passed out of earshot, Gladio and Prompto came up on either side of Ignis. The three watched as their friend jogged lightly up to the girl, offering an apologetic nod. Sarah's smile never faulted as she was happy to see him back with her. The two exchanged casual words and for a moment, they looked back to where the others stood. Sarah gave a small nod and a wave to them, forcing the three to return the motion. Prompto and Gladio confused while Ignis smiled and calmly waved. 

“I don't get it. You were going to murder him just as much as I was Iggy,” Gladio dropped his hand to his side as the pair turned away from them. He shot a glance to his friend while letting his arms cross. Ignis had still not faltered in his expression. “Why are you so calm?” 

Prompto nearly mirrored the shield's stance, his face just as confused as before. “Yeah. What's the deal?” 

Removing his glasses, Ignis reached into his coat to withdraw a small cloth he kept in his inner pocket. He ran the microfiber over the lenses, not bothering to make contact with the others. For a moment, he let his breath fog the glass as he cleaned it. “Noct wants to know how his magic brought Sarah here to Eos just as much as we want to know. I do believe that he does not know much else besides what he told us.” Moving to the other lense, Ignis repeated the process again. “And look carefully at what is in front of you. What do you see?” he posed the question, continuing to follow through on his simple chore. 

Prompto looked back with a questionable eye. Noct stood there, speaking to Sarah very casually. Nothing screamed out of the ordinary, besides the fact that he was even talking to a girl. It was still strange to him. And yet there, for a brief moment, it struck him quickly. “He...he's smiling. Like legit smiling.” 

“Well would you look at that,” Gladio muttered, contentment washing over his tone. “I don’t think I have seen him that relaxed...ever.” 

Placing the frames back to his face, Ignis let out a small sigh. “In all of my years of being his friend and in his service, I have never seen him look this content around a girl. I don’t believe he even had this level even around Lady Lunafreya.” There was something strange in the air to him. Watching the scene before him, it was like a strange alternate universe playing out before him. Noct was listening to what she was saying contently. She would laugh, and he would smile back at her with a small chuckle in return. It was almost as if there was nothing wrong in this world in that moment. It was something that he had always wished for his friend, but knew would could never be. Sarah was almost like a small beacon of light within the darkness of the recent events that he needed. “It seems that Noct has become quite taken with this girl.”

“So what do we do now?” Prompto questioned, looking to the older two. “Are we really going to just stand here while Noct goes on a date?”

“Part of the job kid,” Gladio grunted, rolling his shoulder slightly to stretch it out. “If this trip had gone according to plan, we would be doing the same thing except he would be married and it would be the princess.”

Folding the cloth in his hands, Ignis placed it back into his coat pocket. In its place, he withdrew his phone. Pressing the power button on the side, a low glow came to his face as the screen illuminated. The time read ‘1:45am’. Looking up to the others, he offered a nod. “Sunrise is at 5:30am,” he told, forcing the others to look to him. “He has three and a half more hours. Maybe while he is distracted with Sarah, we can figure out a reason this interdimensional travel occurred.” 

Prompto gave a small chuckle with delight. “Sounds like the plot of at least four shows I would watch back home.” throwing his hands behind his head he let out a small sigh. “Freaky magic mystery time is a go.” 

“We’re not calling it that,” Both Ignis and Gladio spoke, both voices deadpanned. 

A pout of disappointment grew on Prompto's face. “Spoil sports,” he muttered, looking back to his friend and Sarah. He watched as the two continued on as if completely oblivious to them. Noct was now petting Sabrina as he looked up to the girl. He was being so uncharacteristically chatty, he almost thought the aliens had broken his brain and replaced him with a clone. Relaxing a bit, he let out a gentle sigh. ‘I just hope you know what you're doing buddy. This is...beyond weird.’ he thought before he turned back to the others

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I hope you are excited for the next chapter! It will be coming soon! And lots of FF lore and theories will be happening. 
> 
> Stay tuned!


	6. Part VI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for not posting in a while. Life got very hectic. But I am back with the next chapter! More notes about the chapter at the end. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I have no idea what the world of Terra Wars is like. So I made it up. This has nothing to do with the actual universe Sarah is from as there is not a lot of information on it. I just made up her backstory for the purposes of my story. 
> 
> Enjoy!

“Everything okay there?” Sarah's voice asked, breaking Noctis train of thought instantly. It was bad enough that the guys were still going to be angry with him over this whole situation. It took very little of his stupid actions to irritate his shield. But the fact that Prompto was worried too means he had taken this too far. But the true mystery of this was Ignis. His adviser, while showing the same disappointment, just let him go back to this. And what was stranger, he almost seemed to encourage it. His face still felt warm over the words that were uttered. 

Looking up from his feet, Noct let himself push the strange thought from his mind. There were only so many hours left and he refused to let the guys put a damper on things. “Yeah. Sorry about that. They were just,”

“Worried about their best friend running off with some random girl.” Sarah told in a matter of fact way. Her words were so spot on, Noct nearly had to take a step back in surprise. The look on his face made her chuckle slightly. “Its okay! I don't blame them at all.” 

Returning the smile, Noct felt himself relax again. He couldn't explain it. No matter how hard he wracked his brain, there was this feeling he got from her that made everything seem like it was okay. Looking slightly over his shoulder, he could see the three of his friends staring with a strange confusion etched into their features. How was he going to explain this? “As my punishment, they are going to stand guard for the rest of the time you are here.” 

Tilting her head in surprise, Sarah never faulted. Leaning around Noct, she raised her hand to give a small wave to the three. Prompto returned it somewhat happily while Ignis smiled with a nod of his head. Gladio just huffed and turned away. “They really are unique in their own way. Just like the Hiso said.” she told, straightening up once more. 

Noct could only shrug. He wasn't used to his friends acting like guardsmen. This was almost too strange. He understood that it was their jobs and purpose. But it would never not be strange. His father had taught him while they are there to serve the Lucian family, they are your equals in battle and your friends. Never think they are beneath him. And he never did. So for them to be doing what they were? It felt wrong. 

Sarah waved a hand in front of his face, jolting him from his thoughts. “Hey. Are you sure everything is okay? You are spacing out hard here.” she asked, concern in her words. 

Shaking his head, Noct let out a small sigh. “Sorry. Yeah. I'm okay. Just…” he paused. Vocalizing his thoughts on something that seemed so unimportant at this point was just pointless. Looking back to her, he let his head shake a bit. “Sorry about that. I'm back.” 

“Then maybe we should continue on with our game.” Sarah turned gracefully on her toes moving back to the now sleeping Chocobo. She looked at the bird fondly, seeming to have grown attached. Just as easily as she had turned away, she sat on the ground, letting her legs get tucked under her. Sarah's white dress stood out again the darkness of the surrounding area, offering a warmth to the cool night breeze. Once situated on the ground, she looked up to Noct once more. “Well? You gonna join me?” 

It almost baffled Noct at how she didn't even seem to care that they had nearly been taken out by one of the worst daemons. She just smiled to him, outstretching her hand without a care. He didn't feel completely okay with just forgoing the safety of a haven for some talking in the woods. But with the guys close by, maybe it would be okay. Reaching out, he took her hand. The jolt was unexpected as her surprising strength drew him down to the ground. He flopped into the soft grass, nearly rolling onto his back as he went. She let out a laugh as he huffed slightly in embarrassment. 

“Easy...geez,” he let out a small gasp from surprise. “You are seriously stronger than you look.”

“It was your turn,” she said, completely ignoring his comment. 

Shifting to get more comfortable, Noct shot one more look to his friends. Ignis had his back half turned to them, eyes locked on his small notebook he kept in his coat. He knew that look too well. He was observing but being discreet. Gladio had stepped out of the clearing, walking slowly around the parameter of the clearing. He kept his eyes out into the woods, every once in a while shooting a glance over his shoulder. As for Prompto, he had moved to the opposite side of the clearing as a casual pace. He kept his gun pulled from the armiger, but he was casually checking its mechanics. They all needed to get better at being not obvious.

“You said it was my turn?” he asked, finally trying to focus on the girl. 

Sarah smiled as Noct’s bit his lip in thought. The game had proven more than just a better look into the young man’s life in his world. But she was learning so much about how he thought. The Hiso had given her so much more information about him than he even knew. And yet even if she knew what he was telling her, just hearing it from Noct meant the world. She could see the gears turning in the back of his mind, trying to think of something to trip her up. Sarah had managed a few questions like that for him, where he almost seemed unsure if he could bring himself to answer her. He might have said he would be an open book, she was the one that gave him more information. 

“What is one secret talent that your friends do not know you have?” Noct finally spoke up, jointing the girl back to the world around her. He could only return her grin with one of his own, knowing that he finally might have stumped her. 

For a moment, Sarah had to think. Was there anything that the others didn’t know? Just like she was with Noct, she was very open about her talents. All, but one. “Well...there is this one thing. But only the kids know that I can do it. I have never done it around the others because I didn’t want them to know. It was forbidden during the first great war to know some of the ancient texts. But my parents insisted that I learn them.” She bit her lip as she moved to straighten her posture. Moving onto her knees Sarah adjusted her skirt accordingly. “Okay. I cant believe I'm doing this.” she muttered more to herself than to him. Drawing in a deep breath from her gut, she closed her eyes.

_“To all of my children in whom Life flows abundant_  
To all of my children to whom Death hath passed his judgement  
The soul yearns for honor, and the flesh the hereafter  
Look to those who walked before to lead those who walk after 

_Shining is the Land's light of justice_  
Ever flows the Land's well of purpose  
Walk free, walk free, walk free, believe...  
The Land is alive, so believe…” 

Noct felt his eyes widen as the girl continued to sing. Of every talent he was expecting singing was far from what he had anticipated. Her voice was clear and soft as the lyrics left her with such a deep passion. And yet he wasn't in surprise of the beauty of her voice. Or the softness and warmth she seemed to radiate as the tune continued. This girl was proving to be more of a surprise with every passing moment he was with her. But it wasn't just her voice that was shocking him.

It was the song itself. Noct knew it. It was faint in his mind. Foggy in the depths of his memory. From long ago when he was a child. His mother had sang it to him when he was very small. He had even heard his father hum it while he had been sick a few times. It was a song all of the royal family knew and it was kept to just them. He was pretty sure even Ignis didn't even know this. From what he remembered his father say, it was a prayer to a goddess who offered her wisdom and offering prayers and healing to her children. It was something that Noct was always fascinated with. There were many stories that his father would tell him of far off worlds that were connected to their. Where there were humans with cat ears and tails or were half dragon. Places that were ancient but with deep ties to the connection of magic. And others whose crystals were long forgotten and were nothing by lore. The crystal was one of many in many worlds. And while it served it's people differently every time, they were all connected. But the fact that Sarah seemed to know this song that was so ancient and sacred to the royal family? It seemed that their connection was deeper than just a chance meeting. And now even more, he was starting to think that maybe those bedtime stories were more than just mere lore.

As she continued to sing, Noct merely let himself be lost in the song. Without even realizing it, he let his eyes slip closed. The song was always calming to him and it had been so long since the last time he had heard it. It stirred memories from what seemed like an eternity ago. A happier time. Moments in time that he wished weren't confined to just memories. His father and him driving in the Regalia. Just the two of them together. Even that brief moment before he had left the city. The song calmed his emotions and just let him remember. His shoulder seemed to be less sore and his leg felt warm as the tune relaxed him. With every note, each small cut vanished from him from the battle, healing what the potion and ether might have missed. 

“Noct?” Sarah's voice questioned, forcing him to open his eyes. She was staring at him with eyes wide in shock, as if he had done something horrible. What could he have done? How was he going to ruin this moment of calm? “How...how do you know those lyrics?” she asked, voice hitched with caution. 

He raised an eyebrow. “Whaddya mean? How did you know I knew the song?” 

“You were singing quietly to yourself.” 

Noct paled in shock. How was that possible? He had just let himself be lost to the song. There was no way this could be happening. All of his questions and thoughts on how or why started to fall into place. Straightening up in his spot, he was tired of dancing around the topic any longer. “Sarah, I need to know how you knew that song.” he was feeling a small form of anxiety building up in his chest as the girl seemed to feel some kind of backlash from her talent. 

For a moment there were no words. Her eyes darted to the grass below her, trying to formulate what she would say. Finally, after a moment, she had collected her thoughts. “The song is from an ancient text that were banned once the war started. All copies were supposed to be burned, labeled as forbidden knowledge to the people.” looking skyward, Sarah brought her knees to her chest, hugging them close. She rested her head down to them as she almost seemed to hide her face from Noct. “My parents were one of the few who refused and hid the knowledge away from any soldiers. They said that they wished to destroy magic and its origins from the people. To keep us under their control.” 

Noct felt his mouth go dry. “What did they say is the origin? Where does your magic come from?” he spoke quietly. And yet she remained silent, staying locked in her tightly locked position. She no longer made any eye contact with him. Her body seemed to tense heavily as his question. Noct had struck a nerve. He didn't want to pry deeper into something that was upsetting her, but he felt the answer was close. He had to try. “Magic is not something everyone can do here. My dad and I are two of the few people who can. And we use it to protect. My father,” he paused, trying to suppress any sadness that he still felt. “He used his magic to the point of exhaustion. To protect his people.”

Sarah's eye appeared from behind her arm. She looked to Noct, a small stream of tears falling down her cheeks. It broke his heart to see tears. He didn't mean to push her. People skills were always one of his weaknesses when it came to princely training. He needed to apologize and quickly. “Magic is all but gone from my world. And because of it, my world is dying.” she spoke, trying to keep her voice level. Raising her head up once more, she seemed to be calming her emotions, letting her try to compose herself. Her hand rubbed her eyes gently, nodded to almost assure herself that she was fine. “The elders and the books all speak of a crystal. Once radiant and pulsing with the life of our world. It was the one true source of magic and light. But once the war saw to the death of our magic users,” she paused, tensing once again. 

Noct placed a hand to to her back as he slid closer. “Its okay. I didn't mean to upset you. You don't have to-” 

But Sarah shook her head. “If the story isn't told, it will be too late.” Gaining the confidence through her words, she tried to lessen the tension in her body. She leaned into Noct, letting him support her. She let one of her hands slide into his as she felt an arm around her shoulders. He was a deep comfort see what looking for, even though she thought it was never needed. “It... it was a genocide." Sarah nearly choked on the words. A light squeeze of reassurance came to her as Noct pulled her into him more. Her head was now resting on his shoulder as she let herself be comforted. She could smell the leather of his jacket and feel the warmth coming from his body. She almost didn't wish to continue her story and just let herself be happy in this moment. But if maybe someone else from another place could know, maybe they could be remembered. "The memories from when I was a child still haunt me. Millions slaughtered, for the sake of the “better good” and 'unity of all without magic'. The crystal began to die. At least, that's what the elders believe.” 

“Meaning what exactly?” Noct kept his voice low, letting himself hold her close to him. 

Sarah shrugged her shoulders lightly. “The crystal has never been found. It was said to be sealed away somewhere to protect what little magic remained.” she looked down at her hand, clenching her elegant fingers into a dangerous fist. “They say that magic users are still feeding the crystal somehow and that is how our world has been able to hold on. But we will never know the truth.” 

Noct couldn't help but lean back in shock. It was a lot of information to breath in. A world torn apart by war and death. All because of magic and a crystal at the center of it all. It was sounding far too familiar. And to know that there was a crystal in another world that offered magic to not just the royal family, but for all people, it was so mind blowing. The ancient texts and songs taught to the members of his family were not just myth. At one point, his father had said that in all legends, there was a thread of truth. He just never thought he would learn them to be true first hand. 

“What does the song I was singing have to do with a legend you mentioned?” Sarah asked, breaking his train of thought. He found her looking up at him with a curious gaze. Her eyes were brimmed in the slightest shade of red and her cheeks were flushed. “How do you know it?” 

Noct let himself prop a knee up to rest his arm on. This was going to be a long explanation that he was unsure if she would believe. He shot a glance over to where the others were perched along the edge of the clearing. Ignis stood with square shoulders, quietly chatting with Gladio. He wanted nothing more to let them all hear this explanation, knowing he would have to give it after the sun rose and Sarah disappeared back to her world. But he didn't think it was the best choice. Royal family secrets and he was about to tell an outsider everything. His ancestors were probably rolling in their graves. Taking in a deep breath, he began. 

“Over 2,000 years ago, the Astrals, or gods, lived across Eos. Humans were created in the Astrals' image, and though most Astrals were indifferent to man, the God of Fire, Ifrit, admired their strength of will. Granting mankind his flame, a civilization flourished: Solheim.” he told, letting his leg drop, he crossed his legs in front of him. Noct kept his eyes down, refusing to look at her as he continued. “Some humans began to see themselves as superior to the gods and basically, denounced the teachings. Due to the betrayal of the Astrals by the people, one of our gods, Ifrit, declared war on them. And this started the War of the Astrals.” 

Looking up at last, Noct saw the girl staring at him in awe. Her eyes wide in surprise, unsure of what she could even respond with. She had leaned in to listen more intently, as if hoping that he would continue. Despite what he lead the others to believe, he really did pay attention during is history lessons from his tutors and father. Granted, he often looked like he couldn’t have cared less, this was something that he actually found to be incredibly interesting. Averting his eyes back down to the ground again, he focused on the list green grass below where he sat. “The conflict was made worse by the appearance of the Starscourge, a plague that killed millions and caused the collapse of the first empire. But through a bond with the six, they deemed a line of humanity the power to destroy the plague and granted them the power of the crystal. The line of Lucis. In other words,” 

“You.” she finished. Her voice grew soft as she let herself be overtaken with Noct’s words. “Your family guards the crystal?” 

Noct gave a firm nod. “You asked how I could warp and you saw the weapon arsenal I have. All magic from the crystal.” he took in a deep breath, letting himself mull over the words. He never thought anything of his abilities or powers granted from his bloodline. But there was something more here. Something far greater that he had only heard stories of. Granted, he wanted to dismiss what he remembered as just mere legends. But now it was beginning to sound way different.

“But, what does that have to do with me?” Sarah asked, tilting her head in curiosity. “I mean, its sounds incredibly deep into the history of your world. But I don’t understand.” 

Sitting upright, Noct tried to pull all the loose ends together. Suddenly the world was starting to look a whole lot smaller. “My dad used to tell me this story when I was a kid. About how our crystal was one of many and how they were all connected. But the worlds are so incredibly different.” he explained, trying to really formulate some kind of reasonable response. He let his mind wander back to when he was maybe no older than four or five. He sat in bed, still being fussy about wanting to sleep during the night. His father sat with him, even after all the dealings of the day and he had told him this story. “I think...your crystal and therefore your magic is very similar to mine.”

Sarah’s eyes widened in shock at his claim. Pulling away from him, she held up her hands. “What? Magic? Me? I...no. Not me.” she stammered as she stiffened at the mere thought of his insane notion. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Noct has a weird idea of what a first date should be like,” Prompto muttered over to Ignis as he casually walked by, twirling his gun about his finger. What looked like a complicated series of movements and twirls was merely nothing to the marksman. He tried to hide it and yet he couldn’t. He was bored as his lip turned up as he tried to muffle a yawn. “One second she looked ready to cry and now she looks ready to either punch him or hug him.” 

Glancing up from his book, Ignis halted his feverish writing. He shot the blond a look over the brim of his glasses, quieting him in an instant. “I don't think we actually can make claims on how this date is going as we are completely out of earshot.” he spoke quietly, shooting a glance off to the side. Sarah had jumped back from Noct, her face flushed. He was nodding with a smile on his face, while she seemed to keep denying something. Out of context, it really did seem as if his charge was, as Prompto would say, completely bombing it. 

Shaking his head a bit, Ignis returned his gaze back to his book. “Mind the perimeter instead of acting as a wing man.” he scolded, continuing to write away. He had his own theories on this mystery girl. But he just needed a little more time to figure it out.

“That's crazy! You are insane!” he heard Sarah exclaim from behind him. The rustle of dirt as the girl most likely getting to his feet echoed into the night air. Letting out a small sigh, he adjusted his glasses on his nose. Yeah. He was bombing it. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Noct got to his feet now as well. That was not the reaction he was expecting at all. Finally a solid idea of how this whole meeting was possible, and she was quick to reject it. Sarah's face was flustered as she kept muttering that he was crazy. She was now packing back and forth, arms folded as she spoke under her breath about the insanity of it all. At this point, he wasn't so sure who was the crazy one was anymore.

“Sarah please listen to me,” he spoke quietly, really not wanting the others to hear their conversation. “Magic is definitely involved here. And it cant be one sided with just me. You have to have some magic abilities of your own. When you sang, your voice...it...i swear it healed me.” He showed his leg and arm moving around as if there had not been a terrible bite or any form of injury. Sarah's eyes widened, looking as if she wanted to speak but her words were gone. She turned away from him again. “My leg and shoulder are completely fine now. You are...I…” his voice trailed off, not sure how to even continue. He knew there was something about her that made her sync to him. There was more than she even knew. 

She stopped at last, turning back to face Noct head on. He stiffened as he could see her face again. Eyes brimming tears, she kept her arms crossed, holding tightly to her sleeve and armor. “I...I can't be a magic user Noct. Do you know how much danger my friends would be in if I could use magic? How much pain I would cause?” she was almost begging with him to not let it be true.. 

The words hit Noct hard. He let his gaze trail off to the side. His friends were still nearby, acting as if they weren't watching this scene unfold. They were very bad at it. The three of them gave up their lives and any chance of normalcy to stand by him. To get the crystal back and to save their home. Things could have been so different for them. But they stayed, knowing the dangers and the risks. “I do know...all too well.” he muttered, a weak smile forming. 

Guilt flooded her stomach. “Noct…”

Sarah choked back her words. She didn't even stop to think that maybe there was more to Noct’s magic besides just weapons and warping. As he said; only the royals were able to use the gift of the crystal. And here she was trying to forsake something that she wasn't even sure she could do. And to add insult to injury, she basically was insulting everything that Noct was capable of doing and more. He wasn't wrong. This was the perfect chance to see if there was something to his theory. Worlds away from her own with someone that could show her.

Noct's hand was now back out before her. “I am not going to ask that you believe me. But let me at least show you some simple magic. Maybe I can find a way to channel your world's crystal. And if you can use it, great. If not,” he paused, biting his lip slightly. It was an insane thought. But maybe, just maybe, there was something here that could be special. He gave himself a small nod to himself, letting his eyes meet hers once more with a smile. “Well, I guess I’m just asking you to trust me.” 

Sarah felt her cheeks flushed slightly. In all her travels and all the people she had met in her world, never had she seen such beautiful eyes. She could stare into them forever. Noct’s voice was soft as he spoke, giving her no reason to distrust him. There was something there. Something more than just mere feelings of friendship or even more. A connection to him was threading its way between them. Curiosity was winning. There were many times that things would happen that seemed magically. Even when she would send her sword away after battles was similar to Noct. There had to be more that maybe he could show her. Despite every small voice saying don’t do it and that so many could be in danger if she tried this, she let her hand move gently into Noct’s. 

“I trust you.” she whispered, her voice seeming to fail her. 

Noct instantly relaxed as her hand gently met his. He knew that there were a few ways to test if she was truly a user of magic. He quickly racked his brain, thinking of the easiest way to do this. His magic training was, to say the least, structured and frustrating. Cor, Clarus, Gladio, and Ignis scolding him for failing in his warping and spell usage. And making flasks of energy for the others to use because when he released his own raw power without the ring, it could be devastating if done wrong. The only time he felt comfortable with his connection to the crystal was the rare moments of training with his father. The way that he described their connection to the rawest of elements and how their bond to Eos and the crystal was more than flashy swords and combat. It was some of the fondest moments with his dad. 

“Here,” Gripping her hand, Noct pulled Sarah to him. The girl let out a squeak of surprise, followed by a sweet laugh of nerves as he raised their hands up between them so that their fingers pointed up to the sky. “Close your eyes.” Sarah let out one final shaken breath. “Good,” he kept his tone relaxed, letting his own breath level. If this was going to work, he needed her to completely trust him and be relaxed. “Take a deep breath in through your nose, exhaling slowly the same way.” She did so. Her closed eyes never faltered or tried to sneak a peek. Slowly she relaxed, letting her hand push into his. Her smile faded slowly as she began to focus more and more on just her breath. “Good. Keep breathing just like that.” Noct synced his breathing to hers, feeling the magic of the crystal begin to stir. It was faint in the back of his mind. With the stone being a world away, this might prove to be a fruitless effort. But it was worth a shot. 

“Focus on what you feel around you. How I was taught, magic is a deep connection to not just the crystal, but it is the soul and essence of the planet and its people.” he told. His voice was just above a whisper, trying hard to shake the feeling of sounding just like Cor and even more like his father. He had hated magic training so much. But now, he was almost glad for those hours of lessons and constant reminders of his power and its sources. Now he could maybe help Sarah connect to her own abilities. 

It was strange. As they continued to breath, the world around them seemed to fade away. He watched carefully as Sarah’s distress and fears vanished, a deep focus coming to her face. Noct knew it was a long shot, but finally he too closed his eyes. He brought all of his lingering energy forth, letting his body tense slightly. He was weaker than normal from all the fighting and injuries. As he felt the power of the crystal flow through him, he knew this would be worth it.

“Let's try a simple ice spell first,” he muttered, feeling Sarah's hold on him tense. Raw element magic was still very difficult for him to grasp. Even his father said that if he was to attempt it without the ring, it could be dangerous. The ring was the main catalyst to the flow of power. Without it was next to impossible to wield it. And yet he pushed the thought away. He wanted to help Sarah understand and not be so afraid of magic. The enemy of it in her world be damned. If she knew what is was like to purposely cast magic, maybe it could even help change things. He began to focus the feeling of what it was like to absorb the power from the stones around Eos. The flow of power itself through his veins. As his father had explained it, he merely needed to will the energy away, but controlled and focused. That was the hard part. It was probably a fruitless effort, but what harm was there in trying. 

_‘Please,’_ he though as he focused on ice magic. He could feel the crystal react to his drawing of the ice element. It was always the same. A chill ran through his blood, traveling up from his toes and rushing to the ends of his fingertips. He could think back to the first time he tried to use the spell. While he had blacked out from the surge of raw power, he vaguely remembered it taking nearly a week to thaw out the training hall. The thought of Cor chipping away at the ice to get back his katana while his father laughed made him relax. What she thought of as something bad and taboo held some fond memories for Noct. Sarah needed to see that. It wasn’t all bad. _‘Let her not be afraid of it.’_

“Hey,” he could Sarah's voice. It sounded strange to him, almost like she was speaking to him through a pane of glass. He could feel cold catch in his chest, the heat of his breath as he exhaled gently. “Ice! I can feel the ice magic flowing.” Yet Noct did not open his eyes. She continued to squeal with delight, babbling on that this was really happening and it was so cold. There were sounds of cracking as if the pressure was building up or he was standing on a lake coated in thin ice. “Oh...um...what do I..?” 

“Extend your hand out and tell your body to release the energy,” Noct spoke. And yet, the words were not his own. There was a tone deeper than his natural one. But Sarah did not seem to notice. He could barely make out her voice as it sounded like she agreed to his words. But he hadn’t said that. Noct couldn’t find the ability to say anything. Words were failing him as he felt the energy of the crystal pulse through him like a steady stream. It was calming and relaxing. He couldn’t figure it out. Before he could try to make heads or tails of the sounds, he heard a shot and a loud crack as wood splintered. 

“Whoa!” Prompto called, though he sounded so distant. Why was he so distant? 

“Noct! What the in the seven hells--wait a second.” Gladio. He sounded angry and yet confused.

“What on Eos…” Even Ignis sounded perplexed. 

“Noct,” Sarah was quiet, feeling her hand tense under his own. Her voice was drenched in shock. “I...the tree...I.” 

Noct tried to open his eyes but he couldn't bring himself to find his way out of his focus. A warmth spread over him. Every muscle relaxed and his mind slowly began to drift. His mind felt as if he had fallen into a deep haze as the magic continued to flow to his fingers. 

_‘Chosen king. This power...we have not felt in a millennia.’_

_‘Please,’_ he thought to himself as he could feel Sarah's fingers slowly intertwine with his own. Noct heard her calling his name over and over again. Sarah sounded worried, but he couldn’t shake the haze in his mind. All he could focus on was the energy flowing through him. _‘Sarah...she needs your power to fight.’_ A surge of energy started from his feet, making its way up like lighting from his body. A light tough came to his brow. He knew it was Sarah. And it made him focus all the more. 

“You're really pale. I..I think we need to stop.” 

But Noct couldn't respond. Eyes shut tightly, he continued to speak to the crystal. _‘There are more than one of these out there, isn’t there? You’re…from her world. That's why you brought Sarah and I back together. Because she had a connection to her crystal, and so to me. My father's story was true. The crystal is one of many...'_

 _‘Power for one who was locked away,’_ the voice called in back of his thoughts. It wasn't the voice of the Six he had become so accustomed to. This was different. It was a weakened voice, like it had not spoken in ages. He could feel his energy beginning to wane, his knees feeling weak. _‘You are just what she needed, crystal bearer. We were wise to send her back to you.’_ Warm energy slowly replaced the shocks of pain. He had felt this energy before while he was a child. Healing energy that relaxed every pain just like that of Luna's mother. The tension was leaving him, beads of sweat he did not know were there rolled down his face. _‘Chosen for a reason. You are indeed strong. Very well. Our power...is now hers. She will be a Warrior of Light.’_

“Noct? What’s going on?” Sarah’s voice echoed. “Are you--”

_‘We will be free and her power will save our world. Praise that of the chosen King of Light. Terra thanks you for its savor.’_

He felt himself pitch to the side. Air rushed around him. Someone called his name. And he knew no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that chapter. A few things: 
> 
> -The song Sarah sings is called "Answers" from Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. I am an avid player of FFXIV and thought the song would be perfect for Sarah to sing due to the nature of the chapter. If you have never heard it, look up the Distant Worlds version of it. It is really stunning. 
> 
> -In the lore of Final Fantasy, it has been stated that each of the various worlds of FF are connected through their crystals. I know Sarah isn't from a FF universe, but hey. They universe is a pretty big place. So why not?
> 
> Thank you and stay tuned!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading and stay tune for updates soon.


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